Life Sucks
by charmed1s-halliwells
Summary: Teen Charmed.Prue seems happy,but she has secrets. Piper's invisible wishing to be seen. Phoebe's a rebel, doing worse and worse things. Enter Paige, a strange new girl with problems of her own. When a series of trajedies strike,can they make it through?
1. Prologue

**Life Sucks**

**Prologue**

**A/n: This story has been in my head for quite some time, so I'm glad to finally post it. It'll be a tee story with all four sisters eventually. I tried to include real information on their teen years and expand upon it. This chapter is in Piper's POV...the next chapter will be in Prue's. Prue is 17, Piper is 15, Phoebe is 13 and Paige is 11. Enjoy the story! sadly, I don't own Charmed. **

My name is Piper Halliwell, and I'm 15 years old. It's not as if I expect you to remember any of that. I'm nobody…the human equivalent of invisible. I don't have any friends, although it's not like anyone in my family would notice. I spend my days going to school and being invisible. Then I come home, where I try my hardest to stay that way. School is definitely a daily torture, but home is not much better.

It's not like I have a bad home or anything. I have a nice house, and all the material things I could ever want. My sisters make my life a little difficult. They don't really mean to do it. They can't help being the way they are. How are they, you ask? The best word to sum up Prue and Phoebe is perfect. They're everything I wish I was, but no I never would be. They try to be nice to me, but we all know that I can never be equal to them.

Prue is 17, and the social opposite to me. Where I am a looser geek on the chess team, she is a popular cheerleader, and president of the student body. If that wasn't enough, she has the hottest boyfriend on the planet. Andy isn't only cute, but he's also really nice, even to me. Prue is graced with good looks, beauty, and confidence. She is so good at just about everything, that I could almost hate her. Almost.

The thing about Prue, about both my sisters actually, is that you can't help but liking them. They seem to have this likeable quality that I just lack. We might even be friends one day. That is, if I ever stop feeling so very inferior around them. I'm not really great to look at. I'm not that smart either. I've gained the status of nerd simply by trying really hard. Come to think of it, I'm not good at anything. I'm just Piper, unremarkable, ugly, and invisible.

My sister Phoebe is two year younger than me. She was cooler than me since she was five. She was very different than Prue, but just as popular at her middle school. If I had to chose one word to describe Phoebe, it would be rebel. Just to make our grandmother, who we called Grams, angry, she'd do just about anything. Phoebe's never met a rule that she didn't like to break. She was even caught shoplifting once.

Despite her tough exterior, Phoebe was actually very nice. At least Phoebe could never make me feel stupid. Phoebe was the worst student in the world. She was also a lot of fun. She was always after me to lighten up and have a good time. Maybe I didn't know how. I was just always the calm, level headed one. Grams always said I was the one who kept the family together.

Grams was another reason that home was never very fun for me. Strict and old fashioned, she had raised my sisters and I since I was five. We were never aloud to go out late, or do much at all. Prue and Phoebe, especially Phoebe, never had any trouble breaking those rules. As if I had ever even had the chance to do something exciting. I'd never be invited to anything. If I was though, I'd be much to frightened to break the rules.

I had always been this plain, boring and unremarkable person. It didn't help that I had always looked plain and unremarkable as well. I was the shortest person of my age bracket, and my classmates would never let me forget it. Trying to make my hair look nice was a loosing battle. It was a dull shade of brown, and it fell just past my waist. It had just enough frizz to never look tamed.

The only feature I even semi-liked about myself was my eyes. I have extremely long eyelashes, which have always worked in my advantage. My eyes of course were not remarkable. They were dark brown, and Grams sometimes said they reminded her of the colour of chocolate. The real reason that I didn't cringe every time I caught sight of my eyes were that they were one of the few things I had gotten from my mother.

Before I was five, it was my mother who raised us. She drowned when I was five. I don't remember very much about her, but what I do remember was wonderful. Snatches of memory come back to me now and then. When I was four, she taught me to bake cookies. For my fifth birthday, only a few months before she died, she bought me the Malibu Barbie I had begged her for. One of my earliest memories was of her funeral.

I missed my mother a lot, but not as much as I think Prue does. She was there when our mother died. She never did talk about it. I knew she thought about it sometimes. When she thought nobody was looking, she would go to the lake where our mom died and just cry. She never took swimming lessons with us. Prue was terrified of water, and I knew exactly why.

Grams raised us since our mother had died. Shortly after our mother's death, we lost our father too, but in a different way. No, he didn't die or anything. When I was 8 years old, my father left and never came back. I remember the last time I saw him. It was my birthday, actually. Horrible things always tend to happen on my birthday.

He had gotten me such a beautiful doll. I still have it, although I never look at it. He was fighting with Grams. I don't remember exactly what they were fighting about, but they were both really angry. It frightened me. Then I remember my father saying that he wouldn't let her raise us like that. He walked out and slammed the door. I never saw him after that. I didn't even receive so much as a card on my birthday.

When I thought of my mother, I felt a great sadness. When I thought about my father, all I felt was anger. That's why I tried not to think of him very much. Grams and my sisters were never any help. I couldn't talk to any of them about how I felt about anything. Grams would tell me not to worry about my idiot of a father. She never did like him much. Then she would go on to say that I had a great destiny that didn't involve Grams. She was big on destiny.

I tried to imagine what my sisters would say if I ever tried to talk to him about anything. If I ever tried to approach Prue, which I would never do, she'd probably be to busy to even look at me. Prue was involved in a myriad of extra curricular activities. She was always busy with cheerleading, or the school play, or the basketball team. I knew she would never take the time to even think of me. If I did try to talk to her, she would do nothing but judge. That's why I didn't try.

Phoebe was a slightly different story. She was a bit more approachable than Prue. She was the one that I talked to last fall when I sent dad a birthday card, only to have it be sent back. Phoebe would understand, and she would listen. That was all well and good, but it was what she would do after that worried me. Phoebe would want me to get my mind off of whatever was troubling me by doing something fun. Phoebe's idea of fun was egging someone's car, or tp-ing someone's house.

That's how I became isolated in my own family. I had no one to talk to, neither here, nor at school. I wasn't like them, any of them. I didn't fit in anywhere, not with my family, and not at school. I was just…Piper. None of the categories or labels that people made for themselves seemed to fit me. Weirdo seemed to sum up what I was. Not only different, but weird.

Lunch at school and dinner at home were the worst. I hated my school cafeteria. It was just so hard for me to find a place within the cafeteria walls. The tables full of my chattering fellow students did nothing but intimidate me. I would stand with my tray for what seemed like hours, not sure where I would dare to sit. That was, of course, before someone would trip me, or something equally as embarrassing. I usually ended up at the edge of a table of fellow outcast, not even daring to look at anyone.

Dinner at my house was almost as bad. I wasn't sure which was worse, the uncomfortable silence, or the forced conversation. Grams, my sisters, and I, weren't what you'd call a normal family. We were 4 very different people forced to share the same house, and the same dinner table. There was nothing really that we could talk about without yelling. Grams and my sisters had forceful personalities, so most of the time, by staying quiet, I stayed invisible.

I thought that nothing would ever change. I'd be the odd one out at home, never knowing where I fit in. That's where I tried to be invisible. I wanted my family to ignore me, but it would never work. At school, no one would ever know that I was there. I was invisible, it was impossible to notice me. I sat in the back of class. I was always tuned out to what the teacher was saying. Instead of listen, I would draw on my pants, or on my binders.

I kind of liked that things would never change. My life wasn't exactly good, scratch that, it sucked. Still, I had settled into a routine. I felt comforted since knowing that things would never change, nothing could get any worse. Perhaps I was a little frightened by change. Still, for as long as I could remember, things had been just like this. I was always the odd one out. My life may suck, but it has always sucked.

Everything changed a rainy Tuesday that started like any other day. Prue rushed out the door early, after grabbing a bagel. Grams was trying to force Phoebe to eat. My youngest sister, as always, was refusing. I was staring at my glass of orange juice, trying to pretend I wasn't there. Finally, after Grams made Phoebe finish her toast, and I had given up trying to be invisible, it was time for me to go to school.

Actually, it was a little past the time I had to go to school. I was always a little late so it didn't matter. No one would notice anyways. I watched for a moment, as Grams and Phoebe argued. This was a regular occurrence. Neither of them noticed me leaving. They never noticed me ever, so it was stupid for me to expect anything to change. I walked out the door looking down at my shoes. I didn't expect today to be any different.

I walked out into the rain, ignoring as the water seeped through my clothes. I didn't usually mind being wet. It gave me something to think about other than my situation. It was a good twenty minutes until I arrived at school. There was nothing to do in the silence that the rain had created except think. I thought about the horrible monotonous routine my life had become. I wondered if anyone would even care that I was taking my time out in the rain…if anyone would worry that I might catch cold.

I didn't know it, but that was the day that everything changed, and nothing was ever the same again. That was the day we met Paige.


	2. It's Lonely on Top

**Chapter 1: It's Lonely on Top**

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Thanks to all those who reviewed, it really made me happy. I actually have 3 more chapters of this story already written, so the more you review, the more I post. This chapter is in Prue's point of view. I hope you like it, and I hope you don't get confused. I still don't own charmed. Enjoy! By the way, although most of this story is rated K, but this chapter, and another one a little later is rated borderline T**

I left the house in a rush that day. It wasn't really anything new. I always had somewhere to go and something to do. Not only did I look perfect, with my short black hair, light blue eyes and pale complexion, I tried to be perfect too. It never worked. Today it was cheerleading that I was rushing for. The practices were always so ridiculously early. Cheerleading wasn't the only reasons I was rushing. The time I left was actually a little early. Before my school day became hectic, as always, I needed to see Andy.

Andy was so much more than a boyfriend to me. He was everything that really mattered. He was the reason I went to school. It wasn't just that he was hot (which he was). You couldn't find anyone more understanding if you tried. Everybody else expected me to be perfect and always in control. When I was around Andy, I could just be myself. If I broke down and cried, he would hug me, and tell me everything would be all right. That's what I loved about him.

Andy always met me in front of school an hour or so before cheerleading practice. It was my refuge until my so called friends came and tried to talk to me about boys and clothes and makeup. Despite the face I presented to the rest of the world, I wasn't interested in those things. As one of the popular crowd, however, that was what was expected of me, so I kept up the façade.

When I got to school, it was almost deserted. I stood on the east side of the school. That was where Andy always met me. I was a minute or so early, so I waited. I hoped not to hear from my fellow cheerleaders, at least not this early in the morning. They never really knew anything about me besides that fact that I'm pretty and confident and smart. I used to pretend to enjoy talking with them, but not anymore. Since what had happened about a month ago, I had been distant with them.

I hadn't told anyone what had happened; not even Andy. I hoped that if I didn't talk about it, it would go away. It never went away. I still thought about it sometimes, especially when I was alone. Even thinking about it caused me to tear up. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice my cheerleading co – captain named Britney walk up to me.

I would have run and hid, but by then it was too late. "Hey Prue", she said cheerfully. I threw her a very fake smile.

"Look Britney", I said, doing my best to try and sound all peppy, "I'd love to talk, but I ...uh…I really have to go to the washroom." She shot me an understanding smile and walk off.

I had to go to the washroom now, I had no other choice. Mercifully, it was empty. It was usually easy to be alone when you got to school so early in the morning like I did. I turned on the tap of the sink, and splashed a little cold water over my face. That made me feel a little better. As I turned off the tap, I caught a look at myself in the mirror. I hated looking in mirrors.

I knew that mirrors lied all the time. When I looked into the reflective glass, I saw a beautiful confident person. My makeup was perfect, I didn't have one hair our of place. The mirror showed a person that other people might want to be. I hadn't been that person for a very long time. You couldn't see it in the mirror, but I was dead inside. That's what I truly was; a broken person hiding behind a mask of beauty.

I wasn't always this way. Even a year ago, things had been much simpler. Then I met Dylan, and everything went to hell. He was everything I thought I wanted. I was sure that I loved him, really I was. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Things were perfect for the first little while. We would go to movies, hang out at the mall or go out for dinner. My sisters even liked him, which didn't usually happen. For the first part of our relationship, we just had a lot of fun. There were heavy make out sessions, sure, but I had never intended for it to go any further than that.

It all went wrong on the day of my seventeenth birthday. I had gone out for an early dinner with Grams and my sisters, and then Dylan and I had gone out on a date. Things were normal all throughout the movie he had taken me too. In his old beaten up blue car, he had driven me to his house. I had never been to his house before that.

You know that feeling you get, when you're doing something you know that you really shouldn't do? Goosebumps rise up on your skin, and all you need to do is get out of there. That's what happened as he opened the door to his house and ushered me inside. I went inside anyways. I should have listened to my instincts. Maybe then things might have been different.

I should have known that something was wrong when he brought me up to his room. You're never supposed to go up to a boy's room. That was like the first thing you learned in personal safety. His room wasn't exactly comforting. His walls were painted pitch black, and there were scary death metal posters all over them. I remember wondering what kind of mother would let him decorate his room like that.

I didn't even know if he had a mother. I never really knew him at all. He was bad, and I was at a time in my life that I had wanted to be bad. My stomach dropped to my feet when he asked me to sit down on his bed. I did it even though I didn't really want to. I was not yet in any danger. It was just a bed, after all.

I gripped the sink with both hands. I shut my eyes tight. This was what I didn't want to think about, what I didn't want to remember. Thinking led to pain. I didn't want any more pain. I couldn't block it out anymore. All the buried memories came flooding to the surface. I felt dizzy…I had to get out of her.

Shakily, I walked out of the washroom. I didn't know where I was going. Anywhere was better than here. As I walked, everything from that night came back to me. I could see it all very clearly. It was as if it was happening again…

I had sat on his bed, very unsure about what to do. He sat next to me, and I tensed a little. That's when he tried to kiss me. Quickly, I pulled away. It wasn't as if we hadn't kissed before…but he had really scared me. That's when he had snapped.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I remember him yelling. I didn't have an answer for that. He slapped me across the face, leaving an angry red mark in his wake. I had touched my cheek lightly. I remember how much it stung. I'll never forget the look in his eyes. It was the look of a madman…a monster.

His hand crept under my skirt, up my leg and rested on my inner thigh. Then he went much further…too far. I pushed him, as hard as I could. He stumbled backwards and fell off the bed. I took my chance. With one last disgusted look at him, I ran out the door. I had seen who he truly was for the first time, and it petrified me.

I didn't stop running until I got home. To this day, I still don't know how I managed it without anyone noticing. The next day, I put on more makeup than usual to cover the bruise. After that, I went back to my life as it always was. I thought that if I pretended it never happened, everything could just be the same again. My efforts had been in vain. Nothing would ever be the same again. I had to just accept that and live with it. I didn't know if I could.

I started to cry, right there in the middle of the school yard. I was quick to wipe away my tears. I didn't want anyone to see my like this. If anyone except Andy saw me crying, my reputation would be ruined. Thankfully, I hadn't worn any mascara today. Andy said my eyes were such a beautiful shade of blue and I didn't need makeup. If I had been wearing mascara, everyone would know I had been crying.

I managed to stem the flow of tears. It was difficult, but to an outsider, I would appear as calm and confident as I ever did. This was an illusion hard to keep up. I would keep it up though, as long as I possibly can. I still didn't really know where I was walking, so I went to the large tree at the back of the grounds. Andy hinted that he might be there. It was sort of our spot.

I had to walk through a crowd of my fellow popular people. Talking with jocks or cheerleaders was always tiring, but walking through them without an explanation would be worse. I walked through the gathering crowd; practice was starting soon; and I tried not to look directly at any of them.

"Hey Prue, see you at practice!" shouted a redheaded freshman cheerleader who always seemed bubbly.

"Of course…um…" I paused. I couldn't remember the girl's name, or perhaps I never knew it.

"Lydia!" the girl supplied.

"Yeah…that's it…right", I mumbled vaguely. I nodded my head, and quickly walked away. Lydia seemed not to have noticed my abruptness. They never did. I saw Andy waiting by the tree, and I quickened my pace. Other empty-headed people called out to me in greeting, but I just ignored them. I had to get to Andy.

When I got to the tree that was our spot, I immediately pulled him into a hug. "I missed you so much!" I exclaimed. He just laughed, his beautiful eyes twinkling. He made me smile too, despite my mood. He could always do that; make me smile no matter what. I sat down cross legged on the grass. People wouldn't know it by looking at me, but I didn't mind getting my butt dirty. Andy sat down next to me.

"Really, Prue", he said earnestly, "What's up? You know you can tell me anything." I looked down at my knees. I wanted to tell him, really I did. It was just so hard. I played with a blade of grass. That was better than looking at him.

If he thought that just by sitter here not saying anything he would get me to look at him…well, he was right. Andy knew me very well, even better than I knew myself. I absolutely hated silence. Whenever there was silence, I had to fill it. So very reluctantly, I stared up into his kind eyes. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I could tell.

Before, deep down, I wouldn't let myself believe that Andy was a good person. If I let my guard down, and let myself like him, I was afraid that I'd be hurt again. But I had to trust him. If I was ever to move forward, I needed to trust Andy.

"You're right Andy", I said very slowly, "we need to talk."


	3. The Invisible Girl

**Chapter 2: The Invisible Girl**

**A/n: I've gone on a writing streak! I've just written like 5 more pages of this stuff, so I decided to update. I'm currently one third done chapter 5 (really 6 if you count the prologue as a chapter) so the more you review, the faster you update. This chapter's in Piper's point of view again. The math teacher in this chapter if based on my actual teacher. Still don't own charmed. Enjoy! **

My clothes were soaking wet after only ten minutes. I could feel the water seeping through my shoes. My hair hung in wet stringy strands around my face. I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. Throughout this all, all I could think about was how much I dreaded going to school. There I had no one. Mention my name to anyone in any of my classes, and you'd get: "Piper, who?"

I checked my watch, sighing when I saw that my first class had started fifteen minutes ago. It was sort of a relief, not to be there, enduring the daily torture. Today my first class was math, and that was the worst. In that class, I was always a combination of lost, depressed, angry and bored. Before I even got there, I wanted to leave.

I always looked down while I walked. There wasn't a real reason. Perhaps there was some sort of reason, but I was unaware of it. I jumped over the cracks on the sidewalk as I always did. It kept my mind off of everything real.

I saw the school building in the distance. It certainly played a large factor in the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. I was nearly half an hour late. That didn't cause me to quicken my pace. However, there was no escaping the large building looming in front of me. When I approached my math classroom, my feeling of dread intensified ten fold.

You wouldn't really be able to understand how depressed I felt even thinking about math unless I tell you a little about my teacher. She looks innocent enough. Her minimally wrinkled face, short cut blond hair and pale blue eyes made her seem like she might be nice enough to be bearable. Beneath her non threatening exterior, she was truly evil.

One thing I personally hated about her was the way she would look at you. Every time I failed to complete my homework, or didn't understand a concept, she would look at me as if I had killed her puppy. Of course I would do nothing of the sort. My teacher also had a very peculiar teaching style. She would rarely even speak when she was "teaching". All she would do would be to put an example on the board, give you homework, and tell you to do it.

Today, my teacher didn't even notice me walk into class. I was late, especially to this class, quite often, but not once had she notice. She was actually talking for once and writing strange things on the board. I took my seat at the very back of the class, and then I honestly tried my hardest to understand what she was saying.

She was in the middle of writing some numbers and letters on the board. I had no idea how she was doing this. Then she started talking, and I was completely lost. She could have been talking Chinese for all I understood. Now she was at the part where she would ask people to solve the problem for her. Only a few would answer, since for some reason they study math on their own time. Everyone else was completely lost.

I had given up by then. It was really no use even trying in this class. The worst is when you ask questions. Then the teacher totally destroys you. Instead of even trying, I doodled flowers all over my binder. After only a month and a half in this class, my binder, pencil case, and several sheets of paper were covered with doodling. She would never notice what I was doing, tucked all the way in the back of the class like that.

I girl I detested named Missy, who was the perky dyed blond type that everyone liked, was stupid enough to ask a question. I don't even know what the question meant, but I knew instantly what the teachers answer would be.

"I'm sorry Missy, but you should know this concept by now", she said coldly. Missy buried her head in her arms. It looked like she was going to cry.

I almost felt sorry for her. Missy was always horrible to me, making fun of my shortness, or my acne, but no one deserved that. Missy didn't even deserve that. The teacher hadn't gone out and said it, but it was obvious from her expression what she meant. She had as much as called Missy stupid, only for asking a question.

Without batting an eye, the teacher went back to her lesson. This was the one class where I didn't mind being invisible. It was easier that way. This was one teacher that I didn't want to be picked on by. This class was pretty okay, if you only looked at the students in it. The only person who constantly subjected me to their torment in this class was Missy, and Missy didn't try much when she wasn't surrounded by a large group of friends.

In another class, like gym for instance, they didn't go a day without picking on me at least once. They would trip me as I walked out of the change room, laugh at me when I ran, and steal my things. Once, when we had swimming, they got into the change room before me and stole my underwear. I can still hear their laughter encircling me, consuming me. That was the only time I had let them see me cry.

This class, despite the horrible evil teacher, was somewhat of a refuge. In some classes, and at lunch during the school day, I was invisible simply because nobody noticed me. In the classes I had with those girls, I would have given anything to be invisible.

During the rest of the math teacher's lesson, I was staring out the window, lost in my thoughts. I often did this to escape the miniature hell my math teacher had created. It was such a beautiful day, and I was dreaming of being outside and just running. The teacher had to decide to notice me at that moment.

"Who can tell me how we can solve this quadratic function? Remember what I said about the parabola", she said mechanically. Predictably, not one hand was raised. She consulted her seating chart on her desk. "How about Piper?" I swear without that stupid chart, she would never know my name.

I tried to figure out the answer to her question. Quadratic…parabola…what the hell was she talking about? "Um…um…", I stuttered. This was really hard to do with everyone staring at me. If I got the answer wrong, they were sure to laugh.

Finally I said, "I'm sorry miss, but I really don't know." The class burst out laughing, but I knew that wouldn't be the worst. What my teacher would say to that would surely be the worst. She gave me an exasperated look and said, "You should know this by now. It's an easy concept."

I am barely five feet tall, but that just made me feel less than five inches tall. My cheeks turned beet red. I wanted to disappear. If I could just sink into the floor and never come back, that would be bliss. Through my intense embarrassment I began to feel extremely angry. What right did she have treating her own students like this? She had no right whatsoever.

I stood up, and everyone in the class turned to stare at me. "Sit down Ms…Halliwell", she said calmly. I didn't fail to notice that she had to consult her seating chart to remember my name. I didn't listen to the teacher, and I remained standing. This gained me appreciative hoots from my classmates.

"You know what", I said, my cheeks getting red again, this time in anger, " You're such a…" Well, what I said rhymed with witch, and it wasn't very nice. If you've read the description of the teacher, you can figure it out.

"I'm going to have to send you to the principal's office if you don't sit down right now!" she yelled. Her normally perfect hair was flying all over the place. I took small pleasure in the fact that I made her loose control like that. For once, all of my classmates were totally silent. I was not going to sit down. I still had more to say.

"I'm not finished yet", I said defiantly, "Only stupid people make other people feel stupid. If you were half as smart as I was, you would just keep your mouth shut. Maybe I need a little more instruction than here's the work, do it now. If you don't get off your ass and actually teach, I'm leaving"

The class was deathly silent at this. You could have literally heard a pin drop. This was the first time I'd heard this teacher have nothing to say, and for that I took total credit. It took my teacher a moment to answer. "Well then", the teacher said lightly, you might as well leave."

Amidst a wave of thunderous applause, I did what I had wanted to do since I walked into this class. I walked out the door. As I turned the corner of the hallway, I vaguely heard the teacher suggest that I go to the principal's office. However, I didn't feel like going to the principal's office. That didn't feel right.

Never in my life had I been to the principal's office. Part of the reason I was such an outcast was because I was extremely smart. I had just stopped trying in recent years. There was really no point anymore. I was always known as a goody two shoes. Well…today would certainly change all that.

I stopped walking in the front foyer. No one was there, because it was in the middle of first period. It wasn't as if anyone would notice if I just left. They had hardly noticed when I got here. I took an uncertain step towards the door. No one had rushed forward to stop me. I could really do this.

I strode quickly out the door, feeling more like a fugitive every second. Leaving school when school wasn't over would always feel just short of criminal. The moment I got out of the door, I broke into a run.

I had done it. I was free. No more school for Piper Halliwell. I felt so calm and just happy. That sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach hat I always associated with school disappeared. It had also stopped raining, which was a major plus. Free from the prison that was school, I just walked, going wherever my legs would take me.


	4. A Rebel Without A Cause

**Chapter 3: A Rebel Without A Cause**

**A/n: I'm updating this now, cause mostly I need reviews to make me feel better. School is so horrible. So many projects, all at once. I'm still managing to write a little every once in a while. Currently, I just finished chapter 5. After this chapter, the chapters strangely get longer. This is in Phoebe's point of view by the way. Don't be confused! still the same day! Enjoy!**

For the millionth time this week, Grams and I argued about my choice in clothes. I honestly don't see what's wrong with them. It's only a little leather. It's not like I'm showing that much. I guess she sort of had a point. I am only thirteen, but it's not like I can't look a little more grown up. According to Grams, however, it was "inappropriate".

I studied myself in the full length mirror in my room. I had imagined to escape Grams' nagging for five minutes so I could check myself out. I saw nothing wrong with the way I looked. Sure, I was wearing quite a bit of makeup. In my opinion, it enhanced my brown eyes and naturally full lips.

Maybe it was my hair she didn't like. I was getting a little tired of it myself. It had grown it long, way past my shoulders, and I usually wear it in a sideways ponytail. The natural brown colour and its constant frizz were getting on my nerves. I might dye it soon.

Thinking back to what Grams said this morning, I don't think my hair was exactly the problem. She thought that my black tank top was much to revealing in certain…areas. That one wasn't my fault. I just developed very early, and there was nothing I could do about that. If I were to change my shirt, it would be just as bad.

I tore myself away from the mirror long enough to get my bag for school. That bag contained all the essentials. I checked my clock radio on my bedside table. It was 7:55, time for me to go. Carefully, I opened my window all the way. I stuck one leg out, and then the next. In no time, I was climbing down the drain pipe along the side of the house. I had done this so many times that it was almost easy.

Lightly, I jumped off the edge of the drain pipe and onto the grass. A last check in the window let me know that Grams hadn't yet noticed I was gone. She would notice soon, so quickly I ran to the end of our street. My ride was waiting for me. I hopped into the old blue beat up convertible that belonged to the coolest guy ever; Max.

Max was 22, and he was my friend Rick's older brother. He was the essence of cool, and I knew that one day, Rick would be just like him. Max gave me and Rick a ride every day. He said it was because we reminded him of himself, back in the day. I had never told Grams or my sisters about Rick and Max. They would think that they were being a bad influence.

It was true that Rick and his brother were pretty bad, worse than me even. Rick smoked, and he drank, and he stole. I had done all of those things, but not nearly as much as Rick did. Max had a criminal record for robbing a liquor store or something. None of this mattered to me, because they were both so cool.

Max dropped us off in front of our school, but I didn't really feel like going. School was such a major drag. I couldn't wait until next year when I was in high school. That would be when the real fun began. It wasn't really such a big deal not actually going to class. It wasn't as if we learned anything worth while.

Rick walked into the front lobby, where students were already gathering. He had such a cool confident air about him. Without any effort, he made everyone's head turn towards us. We weren't officially dating or anything, but I was happy to be Rick's girl. He strolled into the cafeteria, totally at ease, and sat down on the table in the center of the room.

I sat down next to him, feeling privileged to be doing so. He put his arm around me. This action made me smile. It felt good to be his girl. "So Rick", I said as sweetly as I could, "We going to science today?" Rick and I were in the same science class, and sometimes we just didn't feel like going, so we didn't. Grams had been called into school on many occasions because of this. She kept asking me why I did it, and I hated it, because I honestly didn't know. All I knew was that science was boring and it was so fun to see Grams mad.

He smiled at me and said, "Sure babe, we'll make it fun."

So as the bell rang, we made our way to science class. Everyone stood clear of me, but that was only because I was Rick. He was actually fifteen, but he had failed several times, so my classmates found him slightly intimidating. We strolled into class just as the teacher, Mr. Hudson, had begun the attendance.

Rick and I sat in the back of class so we could avoid all the pesky learning. The teacher began his daily lecture, but my mind was elsewhere, as usual. This girl that sat near us named Mona Simmons was talking rather loudly. I just couldn't help but listening.

"My mom is a total piece of work", Mona said, "She grounded me for practically no reason. I'm moving out as soon as I can. I swear, that woman is so totally damaged." I had the urge to slap her across the face right then. At least she had a mother to complain about. I would never admit it to anyone, but I would prefer a mother who was totally strict than no mother at all. Mona just didn't know how lucky she was. Well, I would show her…

Rick grabbed my arm just as I had risen from my seat. He knew what I was going to do even before I did. "She's not worth it babe", he whispered, "She doesn't know what she's talking about." I let Rick pull me into my seat. Mr. Hudson's attention was on us now. Of course he would notice my little almost outburst.

"Ms. Halliwell, what is the meaning of this?" Mr. Hudson shouted. I had a million things to say to that, but Rick whispered, "It's gonna be okay Phoebe." Then, out of the blue, he kissed me. Actually, he didn't just kiss me. We were full on making out in the middle of the classroom. It wasn't as if we hadn't made out before, because believe me, we had. Never in front of people though, so this was weird.

"That's it!" Mr. Hudson yelled. I took the time to marvel at how his normally pale face turned beet red in a matter of seconds. "Mr. Gittridge, Ms. Halliwell, principal's office, right now!"

We went, biting our lips to keep from laughing. Rick was right, we did make science fun. Now, I was no stranger to the principal's office, so I didn't mind that we had to spend the whole day there. I endured another lecture from first the vice-principal, then the principal, then Grams about the inappropriateness of displays of public affection.

The whole time I kept thinking about how this was a great way to get out of class. Later on in the day, the vice-principal brought Rick and I some work from our various teachers. This was a better day than I could have imagined. I got to spend the day with Rick, and I didn't have to be in class.

There wasn't really anyone to watch us. No teacher could take time out of their busy schedule. So all day long, Rick and I did whatever the hell we wanted. Of course, we didn't get any actual work done. Rick smoked, but I told him I didn't want to. I couldn't believe he didn't get caught. This was supposed to be the principal's office after all. We talked, we made out. All in all we had a great time. For a punishment, this was pretty great.

Some teacher I'd never seen came in at three thirty and said we could go. At least we weren't doing anything incriminating at the moment. We walked gleefully out the front doors, discussing how amazingly wonderful the day had been. Max was waiting for us just outside. Neither Rick nor I could get the grin off our faces.

"What're you guys so happy about?" Max asked us.

Rick replied, "We just had the best day of all time bro." I nodded in agreement. This really had been the best day of all time.

The drive to the end of my street was short. I should have known that my mood was much to good to last. I was smiling as I walked from the place Max dropped me off. The lights were on, so someone was home. I hoped that it was Piper, she was cool. Before I walked in the door, I spotted a letter in the mail box. I picked it up.

It was addressed to me in handwriting I didn't recognize. I checked twice just to make sure. There was no mistaking that it indeed said Phoebe Halliwell. I turned it over to see who it was from. I couldn't believe my eyes. This just couldn't be true…this couldn't be happening. There was no mistaking it. I bold black letters it said Victor Bennet, followed by a New York address.

What was he doing writing to me? I hadn't seen or heard from my father in 5 years. He had completely ignored my last five birthdays and Christmases. Since I was very young, all I wanted was for my daddy to love me. It hurt, every special event he missed. For the last five years, every time I blew out the birthday candles, every time I saw a shooting star, I wished that my daddy would talk to me.

Now that it had finally happened, I wasn't sure what I wanted.

I held the letter tight in my hands. I kept looking at it, hoping that it would tell me what to do. Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes, tears that I didn't want to shed. I had always tried to pretend that the fact that I didn't have a mother or a father didn't matter to me. The truth was that it really mattered. It mattered a lot.

I felt a surge of anger towards the father I had never really known. With one hand, I crumpled up the letter into a small ball and threw it on the floor. Feeling a little better, I opened the door, and put one foot inside the house. Having second thoughts, I picked up the crumpled envelope off the floor and put it in my pocket.


	5. Around the Dinner Table

**Chapter 4: Around the Dinner Table**

**A/n: Hi everybody! I'm two chapters ahead of myself again, so I'm updating. This is the part where Paige is mentioned! She is there in the next chapter. This is in Piper's point of view again. I like experimenting with POVs. I have the next two chapters written, so the more reviews, the happier I am. The happier I am, the faster I update. Enjoy!**

"Prudence, Piper, Phoebe!" Grams yelled, Dinner time!"

That was the way my Grams always announced dinner. That was also the way I knew that the most painful part of my day was to come. Dinner was always horrible. Not the actual food of course. Grams was an excellent cook, and so was I for that matter. What I hated was the forced conversations, the awkward silences and the embarrassing conversations.

I walked begrudgingly down the stairs. I didn't really want to sit around the dinner table with those…those people. They just weren't like me. We might as well have been a different species. Unfortunately, if I wanted to eat at all, I had to do so with them. I was kind of hungry. This dinner would be particularly bad, I knew. Grams would be very hard to face.

I knew she was angry when she found me home from school much earlier than usual. She had asked me nicely what was wrong. I had just exploded at her. I had told her it was none of her business, and I slammed the door in her face. I guess she was right to be angry with me. Anyways, she screamed at my locked door for about ten minutes. I was only half listening.

Getting on Grams' bad side was always a very bad thing. I had learned that from an early age. She was always very strict with us, and very quick to anger. She was like Prue in that way. Today was especially bad since she had already been called to Phoebe's school, because as usual, my little sister was in trouble. I thought Grams would be used to that by now, it happened enough. Even after years it got her angry every time.

Speaking of Phoebe, she looked like she was on a rush to get to dinner. She ran down the stairs, nearly knocking me over. I was taking my time. She didn't say anything as she slammed into me. Not one 'excuse me', or a measly little 'sorry Piper'. That just shows you what kind of sister I have. I heard her come in the door today, but she shouted no greeting like she usually did. She just ran up to her room and has been there ever since. I needed to find out what's up with her.

I walked down the remaining stairs two at a time. My sisters had already reached the table. Prue was sitting at her usual spot, and I couldn't believe my eyes. She was beaming. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen her smile. Phoebe was sitting next to her, and she looked a little worse for wear. Her hair was messed up, and her face was tear stained. I could see a crumpled up piece of paper in her hand. Something had to be seriously wrong. Phoebe didn't let people see her cry.

We all sat down, and Grams served us our food. It was some sort of meat loaf, nothing special. For a moment or so, everything was silent. Phoebe could never keep anything to herself, so I knew what was wrong with her almost instantly. "Look at this letter!" she cried. She threw it in the center of the table for all to see.

The spoon I had been using to help myself to some mashed potatoes clattered to the floor. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. There in the center of the dining room table was a letter from the man I had been craving to hear from for years; my father. Why was he writing? Why now? Why only to Phoebe? These questions swirled around in my brain as I tried to make sense of what was going on.

Grams came to sit down, unaware that there was any sort of problem. Phoebe was to hysterical to speak, and I was too shocked. Prue pretended like she hadn't seen the letter. Where our father was concerned, Prue liked to pretend that we didn't have one. Grams saw the piece of paper in the center of the table, and her eyes scanned over it quickly. She cleared her throat and said in what was her usual authoritative tone, "Phoebe, I would like you to throw that letter out at once. As I have told you dozens of times, your father is bad news."

I did not reply to this. I could sense an argument was brewing, and in these situations it was best for me to say nothing. "You don't need him Phoebe", Prue almost pleaded. I knew that she had been telling herself she didn't need him for years.

Out of all of us, Phoebe was the most defensive of our father, and she was not one to take this lying down. "He wrote to ME!" she yelled, "That means he does care! I'm keeping this letter whether you like it or not!" She ran away from the table, up the stairs, and probably into her room. I would have followed her, but the looks on Grams' and Prue's faces stopped. At that moment, I wished I was braver. If I was, I would have said something.

Grams resolutely dug into her meat loaf, pretending as always that nothing was wrong. She took a sip of tea, still not looking in my direction. Grams had a knack for acting as if things were perfectly fine. "So Prue dear, how was your day at school?" she asked, in a perfectly pleasant tone.

Prue rattled off something about a test she thinks she aced, but I wasn't listening. I didn't show it, but I was furious. We needed to be talking about this. At the very least, we should be arguing. "Grams?" I said timidly. I didn't know what I was going to say to her, but I needed to say something. "I…I think we should…talk about the letter Phoebe go", I stuttered. Why was it so hard for me to tell her how I felt?

Grams shook her head dismissively, and I said nothing more. She had a way of making me feel so horrible about myself with very little effort. "I've never had this much trouble with your mother", Grams said, shaking her head. As usual, when mom was mentioned, Prue flinched, ever so slightly. I stared down at my rapidly cooling food in an attempt to block her out. "Why", Grams said, as if struck by a sudden though, "not even when she and Sam…"

She caught herself, but I knew at once she had said something she shouldn't have. My grandmother may be a lot of things, but she was never a liar. I saw through her attempt at being inconspicuous at once. Even Prue had stopped eating her dinner to look up at our grandmother curiously. She had just dropped a bomb shell. Grams had never mentioned any specifics when it came to mom. Why start now?

"Grams…" I said slowly, "Who's Sam?"

This time I was sure that she avoided my gaze. She definitely didn't answer me. The subject was quickly changed, but that didn't fool either Prue or me. I stared at her, hoping she would answer on her own. No such luck. My grandmother didn't even flinch.

"Who's Sam" I repeated. This time my tone was more insistent. Grams looked quickly around the room as if searching for an escape. She didn't find one, so she had to give me an answer.

"Um…", Grams began. " Sam was…he was…one of your mother's boyfriends when she was a teenager!" She finished hastily, looking very satisfied with herself. It was obvious that there was much more to it than that. My Grams had always been a horrible liar.

In a huff, I got up from the table. I left my food mostly untouched. I was going to get to the bottom of this, not matter what. I would ask Prue to help me, but I knew she would never go for it. Instead, I went upstairs to Phoebe's room. The door was open, so I didn't bother knocking.

She was sitting on her unmade bed, and as usual her room was a disaster area. My little sister never put much effort in her cleaning. I sat on her bed next to her, and quickly explained Grams' little slip up. It looked as if she had been crying. The letter she had received was crumpled in a ball on her nightstand. Phoebe wanted to do something, however reckless it might be. I told her my plan, and as I had thought, she was all for it.

"We're going to find the box with mom's things in it", I said.

After our mother's death, or grandmother had put all of her things away in a box. At first she left it out in the open. Then my sisters and I kept going into it. We had questions that Grams didn't want to answer. That's when she started hiding it.

Each time we found it, she hid it again. We hadn't really gone looking for it in a while. The truth was none of us were really interested anymore. Now though, there was something I needed to know, and that was the only place I could think of to find it.

Phoebe and I searched for hours at least. I know it was at least that, because Grams had yelled up the stairs that she was going out, and she was taking Prue with her. This was going perfectly. Currently, we were digging through our grandmother's sowing room. It seemed like a decent place to hide something.

"I found it!" Phoebe yelled from within Grams' pile of old cloths. I rushed over to see for myself. Sure enough, there was a moderately large cardboard box. I could see a faint label that said Patty. We dragged the box into the center of the room.

"Look at these", Phoebe said. She pulled out some photos. Most were unremarkable. They showed our mother at the beach, with us, with Grams. There were three though, that I wasn't sure what to make of. They featured our mother with a handsome middle aged man. His arms were wrapped around her I turned over the pictures, and saw a date on the back: 02/26/77. February 1977…I would have been four, and my parents would have recently been divorced. I didn't remember that time.

Underneath the photos were a lot of other things. There were old clothes and little knickknacks. What drew my attention most was a small leather bound book underneath everything else. "Phoebe, look", I whispered. I opened the book to a random page, and she came over to see. There were pages and pages of writing in this book, all my mother's handwriting…I could tell because Grams had shown us things she had written.

_February 26, 1977_

_I love Sam more than I ever imagined I would. He is truly an angel. I know that I shouldn't be with him; heaven knows mother reminds me of this enough. I just can't help it! When I see him, he takes my breath away. It's not even the way he looks, or what he can give me, as it was with Victor. He listens to what I have to say. He makes me feel like I am the only person in the world. I'm just worried. It's all been happening so fast. I've always been one for whirlwind romance. However, I have to keep reminding myself that Sam and I can never be. I do love him; as much as someone can love another human being. He is everything I've ever wanted, and yet I cannot have him. I am still technically a married woman, and I have my girls to think about. They still need Victor as their father. Maybe I will speak to Sam about this tomorrow…but for now, I must enjoy just being with him. _

I closed the book with a snap. I had gotten the answers I craved, and it had been easy. I stared, wide eyed at the book. What I had just read was not at all what I had expected. So my mother had had a boyfriend. I wondered why we were never told about him. It didn't seem to be that big a secret to me, once I had gotten over the shock.

Phoebe was looking at the book with a similar expression to my own. Ever since she was very little, she wanted to know about our mother. She craved answers about the woman who had always been an enticing mystery to her. Now that she had all this information, it seemed to overwhelm her. She didn't know what to do with this newfound knowledge.

"Can we read a little more?" My sister asked timidly. I had never known Phoebe to be timid, so I complied.

The book was filled with many more pages of writing. I had a feeling it continued until our mother had died. I didn't know exactly what Phoebe or I should be hearing. I opened another random page, a little further back this time, and we read.

_August 22, 1977_

_Sam and I just brought our baby to St. Mary's church. We had wanted to keep her, but we knew that it could only be bad for her. It was mother's idea to bring her to the church. The girls never knew about their half sister. They just thought that mommy was getting a little fat. I think Prudence suspected something, but she never said a word. It tears me apart to say goodbye to the beautiful little girl that Sam and I made together. I just hope that she has a good home, and a happy life. I hope it's a happier life than I could ever give her. The nun there was very kind, and she promised me that our baby would have a good home. I shall hold onto that hope for the rest of my life. I only requested that her name begin with a P, and the nun named her Paige. I know that one day Paige will meet her sisters, and understand where she came from. _

This time, I dropped the book to the floor. So this was the big secret. We had another sister. I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. My head spun with unasked questions. I didn't know where to begin. Why did they give up this baby? Where was she now? Did she find a good home? Paige…I repeated her name over and over again in my head to test it out.

I felt overwhelmed by this new knowledge, and I'm sure Phoebe felt the same. She was tearing up again. Now that I knew about Paige, I had to decide what I would do with that knowledge. Should I try to find her? I really did want to, but I didn't want to disrupt her life. She could be extremely happy with her adoptive family and not want anything to do with us. I wondered how Phoebe felt.

Phoebe's tears slowly disappeared. In fact, she began to smile. I recognized that look. It was the look my little sister got whenever she was going to do something on the rebellious side. Whenever Phoebe got a look like that it meant that she, and anyone who went along with her, would get into major trouble. My anger towards my grandmother was making me a little reckless, so trouble was exactly what I was looking for.

"Phoebe…what are you planning?" I asked.

"Sister dearest", she said with a smile, "we're going to church!"


	6. The New Kid

**Chapter 5: The New Kid**

**A/N: The writing of this is going very well, so I decided to update. Once again, I'm now 2 chapters ahead of myself, so the faster you review, the faster i update. I personally like thisi chapter, cause it has Paige in it. I hope everyone likes it too. The many reviews i've been getting for this story are great! Keep reviewing, and enjoy!**

"I said I DON'T WANT TO!" Paige Matthews yelled at the top of her lungs. She was eleven, and a little past the age of tantrums. Since she had moved to San Francisco from Sacramento, the tantrums wouldn't stop. She just didn't understand why her parent would do this to her. They were taking her away from all her friends, and for what? A bigger house? A better job? A chance to live where she had spent her babyhood?

Paige sat down on the foot of the stairs and refused to move. "Come one Paige, it'll be fun", said her adoptive mother gently. Paige seriously doubted she would have any fun in this stupid place. She had already been to school, and no one would even talk to her. Her mother put her hand gently on her shoulder. Paige pulled away.

"Why do I have to go?" she mumbled, looking at her feet. Her mom held out her hand, and Paige took it. She slowly got to her feet, giving in ever so slightly.

"We have friends at Saint Mary's. That's where we got you", her mom explained for the tenth time that day. Paige nodded mutely, but it was no use to argue. She knew deep down that her mother would find a way to make her go.

It wasn't as if Paige had anything against church. It as just stupid to go there in the middle of the week. 'At least it'll be better than school', she thought begrudgingly. The only person who had even noticed her at her new school was this guy named Glenn…and he was weird! Mutely, Paige followed her mother to the car. She found no way she could get out of this. Her mother got into the front seat of the car, while Paige got in the back.

Her father was going to church to, only he would meet them there. He was going straight from the fire station. Paige wondered what they were going to do at this church. Other than when she was a baby, she had never been there. Of course, she had heard stories about it for as long as she could remember.

Most days, Paige didn't mind being adopted. The kids at her old school even though it was cool. It made Paige feel kind of special. Other people's parents didn't have a choice in having them, and her parents chose her specifically. For as long as she could remember, she had been told that she had been given to Sister Agnes, a nun, when she was a baby.

All her birth parents had given her was a pink baby blanket, with an embroidered letter P on it. Paige still slept with it under her bed, although she would never tell her mother. Lately, especially since they had moved, and she had more time to her self, Paige had been wondering about her birth parents. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn't think of a good reason that they would give her up.

Maybe they didn't want her. That had to be it. Or it could be that they were such horrible people, which of course would make Paige a horrible person too. She had discussed this with her parents once. They were quick to assure her that no one could possibly not want her. That only left the possibility that they were horrible people. Paige didn't much like the idea of coming from horrible people either.

During the fairly long ride to the church, Paige didn't speak to her mother. Her mother guessed that Paige might still be a little angry. The truth was, Paige was letting her mind wonder, as it so often did. She was wondering what her real parents looked like. She hoped they looked like her. That might be nice, considering she looked nothing like her adoptive parents.

Paige was tall for her age, and both her adoptive parents were fairly short. She had thick hair that was straight, and it was a very dark brown. Her adoptive mother had thin blond hair, and her adoptive father's hair was light brown and curly. They could have at least vaguely looked like her! But no, they had to look so different that they didn't even look related.

Paige's face always remained pale, no matter how long she stayed in the sun. She had prominent features, and high cheek bones. Her eyes were a very dark brown, almost like chocolate. It was fun imagining these features on two mysterious people who had given her life. They definitely didn't work for her adoptive parents. They were both tanned and blue eyed.

These physical differences didn't bother her as much in the past. Now that she was in the city where she was born, she began to wonder a little bit. As the car zoomed passed the unfamiliar scenery, Paige paid very close attention for the people on the street. Every time she saw a tall brown haired woman, or a pale brown eyed man, she thought…that couldn't be one of my parents.

It wasn't just her parents she wondered about. She could have hundreds of relatives out there, and not even know about them. Sure, she loved her adoptive parents, her grandparents, her Uncle Dave, Her aunt Jill, Her uncle Frank, and even her cousin Mark. There could be a whole other family out there for her to love, and she would never know them. She had no idea where she came from.

Paige sat bolt upright when the car screeched to a halt. She had been so lost in her own thoughts, that she hadn't realized they were there already. Her mother got out of the car, and Paige followed. She could see the church on the other side of the parking lot. Her mother's stories about it didn't do it justice. It was absolutely magnificent.

There were stained glass windows that reached the ceilings and glittered in the sunlight. Large stone gargoyles guarded the front entrance. They looked very intimidating indeed. Paige shivered a little as she followed her mother past them and through the large engraved doors. The church was silent, but surprisingly full for a Tuesday evening.

Paige expected her mother to take her to one of the back pews. Instead, the two walked right up to the front, where the nuns sat. "Excuse me sisters", said Mrs. Matthews. Paige turned a brilliant shade of red and buried her face in her arms. She hated it when people stared at her like this. Every member of the congregation was certainly staring. "Can you tell me where I'd find Sister Agnes?" Mrs. Matthews continued politely.

The oldest looking of the nuns got up, and showed them to a small room, away from everything. There was another nun there, who smiled kindly at them when they entered. "You're Sister Agnes?" Mrs. Matthews inquired. The woman nodded. Then she looked at Paige, and a flicker of recognition appeared in her tired grey eyes. She rummaged around the small room for a moment, and reappeared with an old trunk.

"I remember you", Sister Agnes said, pointing at Paige's adoptive mother. Then she turned her attention to Paige. "I remember when they brought you here, eleven years ago", the nun said fondly. She dug through the trunk until she pulled out a worn looking pink baby blanket, identical to the one under her bed, with an embroidered purple P in the corner. "You were wrapped up in this…well….there were two, but one we gave to your adoptive parents.", she said, handing it to Paige.

Paige Matthews took the blanket delicately in her hands. This was something she would treasure forever. She stared at it, savouring the way the material felt between her fingers. This old nun standing in front of her had all the answers she had craved for so long. Questions crowded her mid; she didn't know which to ask first.

Finally she blurted out, "Do you know who my real parents are? Why did they give me up?" She desperately wanted to know the answers to these questions. Her mother looked at her with sympathy. Paige's mother might make her so angry sometimes, that she wanted to scream, but they did understand each other. Mrs. Matthews knew that her daughter needed to be alone for a moment, so after she squeezed her on the shoulder, she left.

"Well", said the nun sitting down, "I was very young when they came, hardly older than twenty…" Paige sat down on an old chair opposite Sister Agnes. She listened to the nun in rapt attention. "They came in here very suddenly, with you bundled up in their arms. Your mother and father…well, I could tell that it was very difficult for them to leave you."

The nun paused, and looked around the room uncertainly. Paige was unsure whether or not she would continue in her story. She needed to hear what had happened the day she had been brought to this church. "Please Sister", Paige said as kindly as she could, "Can you just tell me what they said?"

Sister Agnes had rung her hands nervously. "I'm sorry my child…that day was just so eventful. I don't know where to begin." Paige tried to sit patiently, waiting for her to continue. It was very difficult for her to stay patient, when her future hung in the balance. She fidgeted anxiously in her chair.

"As I was saying, they appeared to be in a lot of pain when they brought you. They told me that they desperately wanted to keep you, but circumstances prevented them from doing so. Then they made me promise to find you a good home, a face home. That's just what I did. Your mother's only request was that your name began with a P. She gave me the blanket you're holding to give to you when you come looking", Sister Agnes said.

Paige just stared at her, her normally full lips forming a surprised oh. She had always wanted this, which was true. Still, this was a lot to take in, even for her. There was so much she wanted to ask, and here was the person who could answer it all. Mostly, she just wanted to see them. Her birthparents, that was. There was no way she could find them on her own. She was only 11, after all.

Finally she settled on the question that seemed the least childish to her. She did not know this nun, but she didn't want to give the impression of an immature baby. "How did they know I'd come looking?" she asked. _"There", _Paige said to herself, _"That didn't sound like such a stupid question. Now that I ask, I'm actually kind of curious."_

Sister Agnes chuckled, and Paige's face went bright red. "Because you came from them my dear", sister Agnes said matter-of-factly. Paige didn't have time to ponder what that could possibly mean. At that moment, her adoptive mother came into the room and told them that it was time to go. She grabbed her worn baby blanket and rushed out of the room.

When she tried to protest, Mrs. Matthews said, "You've been there nearly half an hour. We can come back some other time."

It didn't seem like half an hour to Paige. It seemed much shorter. Her mother had seen who she wanted to see at the church, so it was time to go home. Mrs. Matthews was right, they could come back another time. Paige however didn't want to come back another time. She wanted her questions answered, and she wanted them answered now.

What Paige also knew was that arguing with her mother was useless. She had tried for the majority of her eleven years, never gaining much headway. Although she was not really her mother, Rose Matthews was just as stubborn as Paige was.

For some strange reason, she knew she shouldn't leave just yet. "Just a second mom…please?" she begged. Her mom was about to say no. Paige fixed her with her famously coined puppy dog eyes. That never failed.

"Fine", Mrs. Matthew said with s semi-defeated sigh. Paige grinned. She had always been skilled at getting her way like that. She ran back into the church again. She didn't really know why she was going, only that she had to see Sister Agnes again.

The nun was not as alone as Paige expected her to be. There were two girls talking to her. The younger one looked to be about 13, only two years older than Paige herself. By what she was wearing and how she held herself, Paige was sure she was cool. The other was about 15, and she looked kind of anxious as she spoke to the nun.

The older of the girls turned around and caught Paige's eye. Looking into that girl's eyes was like looking into a mirror. Could they possibly be related? The girl looked at Paige curiously too. Then the two girls looked at each other. They silently communicated in a way that Paige would never understand. All the staring was making Paige a little uncomfortable.

The younger of the girls seemed to notice Paige's unease. "I'm sorry", she said, sounding genuinely sorry. She seemed nice. " You just seem very familiar. I'm Phoebe and this is my sister Piper by the way."

"_Sisters?"_ thought Paige. _" I can't have sisters. I sure look like the older one though." _

Paige studied both girls carefully. "I'm Paige", she said simply.

The older of the girls, who Paige remembered was Piper, looked at her shocked. They both extended their hands, and Paige shook them. This was an oddly formal meeting. Piper turned to her sister. "I can't believe we found her! We didn't even look for very long!" she said.

All of Paige's fantasies for sisterhood immediately disappeared. These girls were looking for her? That really creeped her out. "You were looking for me!" she shouted outraged. She didn't really mean to yell. "You guys are creepy!" Paige yelled. Then she turned around and walked towards the exit.

Piper watched as the girl she thought was her long lost sister basically ran away from her. She looked at Phoebe and asked, "What do we do now?"


	7. It was An Accident

**Chapter 6: It was an Accident**

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**A/N: I hope everyone likes this. I worked really hard on it. I promise it's really good. And it actually sort of kind of happned! Please review, I like Reviews. Once again, I'm almost two chapters ahead of myself...so I can update soon again. Enjoy!**

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"Wait Paige, stop!" Phoebe yelled. For some reason, Paige listened. Idon't know why. I wouldn't have listen if I was her.She turned around slowly to face us. It's almost as if she was scared of us or something. She looked scared and maybe a little curious. I could have been imagining the curiosity a little.

I didn't know what to say that could prevent her from just walking away. I decided the blunt approach was my best bet. "We're you sisters", I said. That sounded stupid, even to me. However, for some strange reason, my newly found little sister seemed to believe me. She even took a few hesitant steps a little closer.

Phoebe said awkwardly, "Nice to meet you." Neither of us really knew what to say to this girl we had never met, but should have known our whole lives. I just felt very weird. Here I was, early on a normal Tuesday evening, meeting my long lost sister. This was the kind of thing that I thought could never happen to me. Here it was, something different finally happening, and I didn't know what to say.

"Paige, I'm leaving!" we heard an unfamiliar female yell. Paige glanced at the door, and then looked at us. She shrugged apologetically. It looked like she needed to leave, although she didn't want to.

"My mom…I mean my adoptive mom…" she explained. I just nodded. This was all sort of surreal. She looked a lot like Prue. And she had the same eyes as me…as my…I mean our mother did. She had to be our sister. It was just so easy to find her, that it was a little hard to believe. We thought we would have to search for years, always wondering. We had never thought we would meet her.

If Phoebe had never taken charge, I would have just stood there staring all night. "How about you give us your phone number, and we'll call you later so we can talk", Phoebe suggested gently. Paige quickly found a crumpled up piece of paper and a pen in her pocket. She scribbled down her number and rushed out the door to her adoptive mother.

Phoebe and I left the room in a daze. I could scarcely believe what had just occurred. It felt like some sort of strange dream.We walked back home in silence. I highly doubted that Grams would have noticed we left. In was barely 7 o'clock, so she wouldn't even check. Prue might notice, although she had seemed even more preoccupied than usual lately.

We opened the door very slowly. As always it was a little creaky. Grams was nowhere in sight. So far, so good. Phoebe led me into her room. I recognized her behaviour. She wanted to tell me something. So as I got there I sat down on her bed. It was unmade, as usual. She pulled a crumpled up envelope from her pocket and threw it on the bed.

" It's from dad", she explained, "I've been afraid to read it." She sat down next to me on the bed. I understood what she meant. We hadn't heard from our father in about 5 years. I was a little afraid to hear what he had to say too. All the possible things he could have written all through my head.

I opened the envelope with trembling hands. Out fell a single piece of paper. I didn't dare look at it yet, but I could see what I recognized as my father's signature at the end. It was a short message. I could tell that at a glance. Slowly I began to read it. It took me about two minutes to finish. When I was done, I let the letter fall out of my hands, purely out of shock.

My sister looked at me impatiently. "What does it say?" she asked. I was used to Phoebe being impatient like this, so I knew how to handle her. Even though I wasn't sure she wanted to know what it said, I told her.

"He's staying in San Francisco. He wants us to meet him", I said slowly. I couldn barely believe the letter that I was reading. I had tried and tried to contact our father, but I couldn't believe why he'd want to talk to us now. She was silent for a moment, but I knew that wouldn't last. I waited for the characteristic Phoebe explosion. Sure enough, it came.

"How could he do this to us! He left us for 5 years and now this? I can't deal with this right now!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. If Grams and Prue were here, I'm sure they had heard. Not that I could blame Phoebe for being angry. Our father deserved it.She snatched the letter from the bed. " It's close you know. He's been so close, for according to this letter like 3 months, and now he bothers to contact us! You know, I'm going over there right now, just to kick his ass!"

I let her wear herself out. No one, especially Phoebe, could go on like that forever.When Phoebe threw fits like this, they always ended on their own. I didn't reprimanded her for her threats of violence. I felt that those threats were quite justified. Phoebe had evvery right to be angry, and so did I. Truth was, I was feeling like kicking my father in certain places myself. Instead, always the voice of reason, I said, " Well, if we're going, we should at least get Prue to drive us. It's getting late, and she should be able to come, if she wants."

To my surprise, Phoebe agreed. Now the real trouble was getting Prue to agree. In her mind, our father was dead. We walked towards Prue's room, and the door was half open. I could see her inside. Timidly, I knocked. I used to be able to barge in unannounced, but Prue and I didn't have that kind of closeness anymore.

"Come in", Prue said from the other side of the door.

We gently pushed the door open. Prue was sitting on her bed, reading a book. She looked up from her book, smiled at me, and scowled at Phoebe. Prue and Phoebe never did like each other much. Grams always told me that I was the only thing keeping them from killing each other. "What do you want?" Prue asked, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible. She didn't want to fight.

"Um….well…", I began. I faltered. How could I ask her this? She would surely say no. "We need a lift", I finished lamely. I told her the address. Strangely, she didn't ask any questions. Normally, she would ask us where we were going, who we were going with, and A million other question. She merely walked down to the front foyer and got her coat. She was so indifferent. Prue had honestly stopped caring.

We followed her outside, and she got into the driver's seat of Grams' car. This was weird. Prue was always a very responsible person who asked for permission before doing anything. She had never taken Grams' car without asking. We questioned her about her apparent indifference, and she said, " Do you want a ride or not?" We really wanted a ride, so we didn't question her after that.

Prue drove the first five minutes in complete silence. I expected her to blow up at us any second. Prue wasn't the type to comply calmly with what we wanted. Then she turned around and asked, "Why exactly am I driving you to this hotel in the middle of the night?" I didn't want to answer her because I knew what she would do. Phoebe perhaps either didn't know, or didn't care.

"We're going to see dad", Phoebe replied boldly. I cringed, waiting for the outburst that was sure to come. Phoebe and Prue were so alike in certain ways, that it was sort of creepy. They had the same stubborn personality, and they both hated and liked the same things. They were both angry with our father. They just expressed their feelings in different ways.Maybe that's why they didn't get along so well.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Prue screamed. She was being much louder than usual. That was saying something, since Prue was usually loud."I am turning this car around right now! I can't believe you would be this deceitful. I don't care if our father's still alive. To me, he died the day he walked out the door and never came back!" I didn't want to say anything, but although I always tried to think positive, I almost agreed with her.

Prue's normally pale face was blotchy and red. Her piercing blue eyes were blazing. It was strange that I realized that she looked exactly like our father. They had the same eyes, a piercing blue that felt sometimes like they were looking through you and not at you. Especially when she was yelling, she looked like the father of my earliest memories. The only interactions I remember between my mother and father are angry ones.

Prue's little tirade was scaring me, but my little sister Phoebe wasn't backing down. As I said, they were both very stubborn."I can see whoever I want to see, and if you don't want to drive me then fine! Piper and I can walk ourselves!" Prue didn't stop the car as she had threatened. In fact, she wasn't even looking at the road.

"Leave me out of this", I insisted. I hated when they put me in the middle. Of course, that was my natural place, since I was born in the middle. Prue was paying more attention to her argument than her driving. That wasn't such a good idea since she had only had her licence for a year. She wasn't the world's greatest driver as it was. "Prue…pay attention to where you're going!" I said. As usual, Prue didn't listen to me. No one ever listened to me. I had always been invisible.

Prue was too absorbed in her fight. " And another thing", Prue continued angrily. I wished she didn't have to look at Phoebe when she said it. "Neither of you ever come in my room again, or you will pay!"

"Shut up!" Phoebe yelled. Not her usual snappy comeback, but never the less, effective. Neither of them wanted to stop this fight any time soon. Prue turned around again, which I realized was a very bad idea. She didn't see the truck that had swerved into our lane. I tried to shout out in warning, but it was too late.

It all happened so fast. There was a crash on the passenger's side of the car. That was wear Phoebe was sitting. I was sitting behind Prue. The truck had tried to stop, but instead, the back end of it slammed right into our car. We were spinning…it was out of control. Then for a moment, there was blackness.

I woke up to hear sobbing. It was loud, and it was desperate. For a moment I was confused. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know what I was doing there.Then in an instant, it all came back to me. The truck, the crash…Where were my sisters? Where were Phoebe and Prue? Suddenly, I got very worried. Where were they? What had happened?

I followed the sound of the sobbing, because I could see very little. It was Prue who was crying. She was on her knees on the ground, and she was sobbing. I had rarely seen her cry. I was worried. For I knew there was only one thing that could make Prue cry like that, and I didn't see Phoebe. "Prue?" I asked. I was answered by louder sobbing.

I inched closer. I was afraid of what I would see, because I almost expected it. I could see a lot of blood, even from where I was originally standing.I saw Phoebe clearly now. Prue was holding her in her arms, and my baby sister wasn't moving. It was such a gruesome sight, that I didn't want to look. Yet, I couldn't turn away.

There was so much blood. It was everywhere, on everything. I couldn't get it out of my mind. It seemed to be coming from a wound on Phoebe's head. Prue looked up at me, mascara running down her cheeks. Her hands were bloody too, from holding Phoebe. There was also a nasty looking gash on her arm. I was probably injured myself, but I didn't care. Phoebe was all that mattered.

"I killed her Piper!" Prue shouted desperately, "I KILLED HER!" No that couldn't b true. I told myself it couldn't be true. Phoebe couldn't be dead. I ran to her side just to be sure. It was impossible, but I had to be sure. I felt Phoebe's kneck for a pulse…I held my breath, hoping…waiting…I feared the worst...

I held my breath...Yes! There was a pulse! It was a weak one, but it was definitely there. I breathed a sigh of relief. "Prue", I whispered, "You didn't kill her. She's alive."

Prue did something she hadn't done for a long time.Quickly, she wiped away her tears.Then she wrapped her arms around me, and held me tight. It was like she was afraid I would slip away. "Oh Piper", she sobbed into my shoulder, "I'm such a horrible person!"

I wanted to disagree with her. I should have comforted her, or at least said something. Prue was one of the best people I had ever met, and it was important she know that. She had not caused this, and there was no way shecould have prevented it. Prue was not to blame.However, at that moment, I was wondering exactly what kind of person I was.


	8. Family Isn't Enough

**Chapter 7: Family Isn't Enough**

**A/n: I'm really grossly sick right now...throwing up...fever...everything. I thought updating might make me feel a little better. I haven't done much else today except sleep. Still sick. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I really liked it. Reviews will make me feel better! **

I hate waiting rooms. That was what I was forcing myself to think about, so I wouldn't have to think about what really happened. The waiting room at San Francisco General Hospital had tried to be pleasant. I could tell. The walls were painted a cheerful sort of yellow, and there were all the latest magazines lying around. It would have been almost pleasant if not for the reason I was actually in the room.

I hated waiting! Why wouldn't anyone tell me what happened? I kept repeating what the doctor told me. No news is good news. I repeated to myself over and over again like a mantra. Despite this, horrible thoughts kept floating through my head. What if she had died? The only reason they weren't telling me was because they didn't know how to say it.

Someone who lived near by had seen our car. They had called the police, and after that, everything had happened so quickly. We were whisked off to the hospital. Prue only had cuts and scrapes. I had a minor concussion. Phoebe's condition was a lot worse. They wouldn't tell me anything, but I knew it was bad. I could tell by the look on Grams' face.

She had been called, and she arrived at the hospital immediately after we did. I half expected her to yell, but I guess she was too worried to be angry. Immediately, she had gone to intensive care to see Phoebe. She came back with such a grim look on her face that I feared the worse.

I tried to get her to talk to me, but she wouldn't. I was just as worried about Phoebe as she was. She just looked at Prue and I. Her eyes were so full of pain…and disappointment. When she did that, I had the urge to look away. Grams went back to check on Phoebe, leaving us alone in the waiting room.

Prue was very fidgety. I was worried about her. Since we had gotten to the hospital, she had spoken very little. She just stared into nothingness, her eyes red a puffy. About 5 minutes after Grams left us, she picked up her jacket from the back of her chair and stood up. "I can't be here", she had said, "I have to go." Then she was just gone and I was alone.

I didn't know where Prue had gone, and I didn't know if she was coming back. I sat in the waiting room watching people come in and out. I could do nothing but stare at my feet. A voice from the receptionists desk caused me to look up with a start.

A man walked up to the receptionist working at the front desk. "Excuse me", he said. His voice sounded really familiar. "Where can I find Phoebe Halliwell?" When he asked that, somehow I knew who he was. He looked a little different than the last time I saw him, at least from the back, but there was no doubt in my mind who it was. If he would just turn around…just so I could be sure.

When he turned around, although I expected it, I nearly fainted. After five years, there was my father, standing right in front of me. We locked eyes for a moment. His eyes were shaped like Phoebe's, only they were the same colour as Prue's. I know he saw me, but I'm not sure if he recognized me. I was 10 the last time he saw me, and 5 the last time he lived with me.

Shakily, I got up from my chair. The mere thought of the man standing before me made me furious, I couldn't let him leave. I approached him, practically shaking. When I opened my mouth to speak, no sound came out. Finally, I managed to whisper, "Dad?"

He didn't turn around, and I guess it made sense why. He hadn't been called dad in a very long time. "Victor?" I asked. This time he turned. He looked at me for a moment with a puzzled expression on his face. I waited for that spark of recognition to appear in his eyes. Sure enough, his face broke into a smile. He pulled me into a warm hug.

"I've missed you so much!" he exclaimed, "I haven't seen you in so long, You've grown so much!" That was a bit of an understatement. I haven't seen my father since I was 10, and from ages 5-10, I had seen him a grand total of 5 times, always at Christmas. "How old are you now?" he asked, " you must be at least …13!"

I tried not to let his words hurt me. He was just joking is what I told myself. Or maybe I look younger than I actually am. Instead of make a big issue out of nothing, I stiffly returned his hug. I didn't correct him. In fact, I didn't say anything. He looked at me for a second, as if appraising me. "I heard about your sister. How are you?"

How am I? What a general and stupid question to ask. How was I supposed to feel? The anger boiled within me, and I wanted nothing more than to yell at him. I couldn't answer him, even if I wanted to. Ever since I had gotten to this stupid hospital, I hadn't even thought about my own feelings. There was no time for such things.

A loud shrill beeping interrupted our awkward reunion. My father pulled a beeper from his pocket, and consulted it. "Oh sweetie, I'm sorry, but there's a really urgent meeting. I'll be in town another few days. I'll check in later to see how Phoebe is." He said all of this really fast. I had no time to scream or to cry.

How could he do this to me, again and again? He had only been in my presence for five minutes at the most, and already I felt angrier and more depressed than I had in a long time. Seeing my father again made me feel like my heart had been ripped out and thrown in the trash. It wasn't pleasant, to say the least. Prue was right. He wasn't good for me.

I'd abandoned staring at my feet for staring out the window. It was dark outside now, and it was raining. It was true that bad things always happened when it rained. I listened more than I watched. I heard my father's footsteps get further and further away until they disappeared..

I sat up straight again when I heard quick footsteps coming towards me. It was the doctor in charge of Phoebe…doctor Stacy Webber, if I remembered correctly. She was a stern looking woman with a brisk manner. I had listened when she spoke to Grams, but she did not speak to me, and I didn't understand much.

She walked right up to me and said, " Are you Piper Halliwell?" Mutely, I nodded. "Your grandmother has gone to get something to ea. You may see your sister now if u wish. She's still not conscious, but we expect her to wake up soon, and I'm sure she'd like you to be there. "

"Thank you doctor", I said. I stood up from the chair I had been sitting in for what felt like hours, and I followed her to Phoebe's room. I knew that Phoebe was injured. I had seen her right after the accident. I had seen her covered with her own blood. I still wasn't prepared for what I saw when I entered my sister's hospital room.

Phoebe looked so strange in her hospital gown. The fact that she was wearing usually wearing something that made more of a statement made her look all the more lifeless. She looked so small on that large bed. She was attached to so many moniters, and there were tubes everywhere. The moniters were beeping steadily, which sort of comforted me .I found a large chair next to her bed, probably where Grams was sitting, and I sat down.

My sister's eyes were closed. I didn't know if she knew I was there, but I thought she did. I also didn't know if she could hear me, but I decided to talk to her anyways.

"Hey Phoebe", I began softly, " I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm going to talk anyways. First of all, I'd like to say I'm sorry. I know you. You'd say I have nothing to be sorry for. That's not true. I could have stopped the accident, but I didn't want to be the peacemaker anymore. I just hope you accept my apology. You also have to hold on. You have to wake up, for me. I need you…I…"

I couldn't go on. I was close to tears, and I could feel them in the corners of my eyes. No one would see me cry now, but I couldn't. The moment we had gotten hear, I had promised myself I wasn't going to cry. I looked at the prone form of my sister again. I couldn't stay in this room anymore. As much as I love my sister, I couldn't watch this.

With one last look at her, I walked out of the room, and back to the waiting room. When we had first gotten here, I didn't want to be alone. I was afraid. Now I just needed some time to myself. I just needed to think.

I took a seat in the chair I had been sitting in before. It was more comfortable than I had remembered. More comfortable than sitting in a room, watching my baby sister, who was practically dying, all because of me.

The waiting room was kind of empty now. Most of the emergency room patients had already left. Up the stairs came a very small girl who looked very out of place. At first I didn't recognize her. When I saw her pale skin, dark brown hair, and eyes so much like my own, I recognized her. I don't know how she knew we were here. This was an evening at the hospital full of seeing people I didn't expect to see.

"Paige!" I yelled, "What are you doing here?"

She turned and walked quickly towards me. "I called you cause I wanted to talk. You weren't there, and I really needed to see you. So I found your address in the phone book. Then I snuck out and went to your house, but you weren't here. So I asked your neighbour, and he said you were here", Paige said. She said this all very quickly.

I looked at my long lost little sister in awe. Her actions were so much like what Phoebe would do. Now I had two rebellious little sisters. Only someone like Phoebe would sneak out in the middle of the night and go across town to see virtual strangers. Just thinking of Phoebe made me feel a pang of guilt.

"You know about Phoebe too?" I asked, trying desperately to hold back tears.

"Yeah", she said, a small frown flitting across her face, "I'm really sorry." Hearing something like that from a stranger would feel awkward. Somehow, when Paige said it , it felt almost natural. I guess we really were sisters.

"So…um…" Paige said haltingly. I guess she didn't feel as comfortable with me as I did with her .She was trying to break the silence between us. " I know this is a terrible time, and I'm really worried about Phoebe too, more than you know…but…I kinda wanted to ask you something", she said. She said this also very quickly. I noticed that was a habit of hers.

I really didn't want to think about Phoebe right now. There was nothing I could do, so I didn't mind answering anything Paige would ask. "Go ahead!" I said brightly, "ask away!"

Despite my openness, Paige still hesitated for a moment. "Um…why…I just wanted to know why…" She faltered, and could not continue. This seemed to be a difficult question for her to ask. I could also guess what she was going to say. Unfortunately, I didn't have an answer to give her. It was a question I wanted to ask myself.

"You want to know why our mother gave you up and not us?" I asked gently. It was something I had been wondering ever since I had discovered my youngest sister's exsistance. Paige nodded mutely. It was as if she had lost all faith in her ability to speak. "I'm sorry", I said sadly, "but I don't know. None of that matters now, because you're here."

Instead of say anything, Paige hugged me. With a smile she said, "Thanks. I'm glad you're my sister." It was strange to hear someone call you sister when they had never done so before. It was strange, but it felt right at the same time. I looked down the hall to where I knew Phoebe's room was. It looked deserted.

I looked to my newly found sister Paige. I had to see that Phoebe was all right for myself, and I was taking Paige with me. "I'm going to see Phoebe now. Would you like to come with me?" I asked Paige.

She looked where I was staring and considered my offer for a moment. She smiled and said, "I'd really like that." We walked down the deserted corridor together. It was very late now, but that really didn't matter. I definitely wasn't going to school the next day. I was pretty sure Paige wasn't either. We reached the door where Phoebe's room was to find it slightly ajar. It had been about a half an hour since the doctor said I could see Phoebe.

We walked in to see Phoebe, lying in bed awake. She looked much better than the first time I had seen her. She was still hooked up to all those machines, but she had some of the old life in her eyes. "Phoebe!" I squealed. I was so excited that she was all right. I could barely control my excitement. Before Phoebe could do anything but smile, I wrapped her into a tight hug, afraid to let go.

Paige hung back, watching the scene awkwardly. "Oh Phoebe, I'm so glad you're all right. I was so worried! You must hate me! It was all my fault…I should have…" I said very quickly. Phoebe put a hand to her lips to silence me.

"Listen to me carefully Piper", she said. Her voice came out as no more than a harsh whisper. "This was not your fault, and this was not Prue's fault. I love you both, and you need to know that." Her voice was weak when she said this, but it was so sincere that I had to believe her. She looked over at Paige who was still standing in the corner awkwardly. Sh said, "I'm glad you're here Paige. I'm glad you're my sister."

Paige smiled at this, and she too hugged Phoebe. Phoebe didn't seem too surprised to see Paige there. Then again, I wasn't surprised either. There were a stack of chairs against the wall in Phoebe's small hospital room. Paige and I took one and sat beside Phoebe's bed. I considered telling Phoebe about seeing our father, but immediately decided against it. She had been so upset when she read the letter our father sent. If she learned what happened when I saw him, it would just destroy her.

In my momentary silence, Phoebe had noticed something I hadn't even thought about. "Piper, where's Prue?" she asked. That was a very good question. I realized I hadn't seen Prue for a long time. It had to be at least several hours. Where had she gone? I knew she had to be feeling terrible. What could she be doing? I was getting worried now.

_Where on earth was Prue?_


	9. A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

**Chapter 8: A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words**

**A/N: Wow, this is getting really sad. Once again, this chapter's influenced by an actual episode. This is in Prue's POV, and what happens after she left the hospital. Thanks to all the people who reviewed. Glad you really like it! I enjoy writing it. **

I didn't know where I was going as I left the hospital. All I knew was I couldn't stay there. Don't get me wrong, I was very worried about Phoebe. It was just much to hard to be there. Being there only reminded me that I was a screw up. Phoebe could be dying, and it was all my fault.

Grams would never let me forget it. Everytime I looked at her, I saw dissapointement. I tried so hard to be perfect, and still, nothing I could do was ever good enough. The guilt I felt was overwhelming. It was all my fault…all my fault. If I had only done anything differently, Phoebe would just be fine. Every single moment I spent in that hospital was met with accusing glares. I had to get away from all that.

I knew what I was running from, but I didn't know what I was running too. All I knew was that I had to get away. I had to get away from the accusations and the guilt. It was the guilt that was overwhelming. Phoebe's condition was still unclear. I felt that I had killed my sister. All of this was over nothing.

My words to Phoebe right before the crassh replayed in my heads over and over again. I had been so cruel for that, and I regretted it greatly. I didn't mean to be so hard on her. It was just…our father had always been a sore subject for me. Of course, I wished he'd be there for us. Unlike Phoebe, I knew it wasn't possible. I wasn't angry, like she thought I was. I admired her hope, and I envied it.

I wished I could tell her that it was okay to hope. There was a lot of things I wished I could tell her, but I feared I never could. I just wanted to tell her that I loved her. Phoebe and I never got along. We were just exact opposites, like night and day. We had our daily shouting matches, and frequent disagreements. That's why I was worried that she didn't know that I loved her. After what I did, I wouldn't be surprised if she thought I hated her.

Somehow, I found myself in a park where we used to picnic as a family. I hadn't agreed to come here in a while, and I know why. Mom used to take us here all the time. Everything about this place reminded me of her. I had no idea why I had come here now. It was strange the places you ended up when you let yourself walk without shock.

There was a lake by which we would always picnic. Some of the best early memories come from picnicking by that lake. There was an old fashioned looking bridge over that lake where Piper and I used to lean over the edge, and throw bread to the ducks. I walked to the center of the bridge, and as I expected, there were no ducks.

The water was quite still, which was a very peaceful thing. No one else was here, which I supposed made sense. It was the middle of the night after all, and no parent in their right mind would let their child stay out this late. I had no parents as far as I was concerned, so that didn't really matter. It was kind of cool to be here, alone with nothing to keep me company but my thoughts.

The again, being alone with my thoughts was a pretty scary thing. I kept imagining all the horrible things that could be happened to Phoebe. She could be dead now. I cried as I remembered my mom's funeral. If I had to go through that again with anyone I loved, it would just destroy me. I was a horrible person. Everyone would be better off without me. All I did was ruin everything.

I studied my reflection in the surface of the lake. As always, what was on the inside was the opposite of what was on the outside. I looked so pretty and well put together. I looked like the type of person who whould be happy. I brushed a tear that excaped away very quickly. There was no use crying about this. It wouldln't help anyone. Everything had just been so hard all year.

I rummaged in my back pack, which survived the crash, and which I had brought with me. There was my most prized position, the camera my Grams had given me for my 10th birthday. I loved taking pictures. It gave you the freedom to capture the world in a whole new way. I experimented with it, snapping shots of the park, and the lake, and the darkening sky. Just having my camera with me made me feel a little better, but not completely better.

A very disturbing thought flitted across my brain, but I quickly pushed it away. No, it was stupid to think like that. I looked into the water again, and didn't recognize who I saw. The girl I saw should be happy, and she should be sure of herself. I hadn't been happy in quite some time. I had also never felt so lost.

Everyone was going to hate me now, I just knew it. Even the chipmunks all around me seemed to be staring at me in contempt. That may sound a little paranoid, but I was feeling horrible. It would be just easier if I wasn't here. Grams once told me that she would love me no matter what. It was hard to believe that was still true. I could have killed Phoebe. That should never be forgiven. I would be surprised if she ever spoke to me again.

If I was her, I would never forgive me. Phoebe was always the one babied, since she was the youngest, and the only one who had never really had a mother. It was always up to me to be responsible, and take care of everyone. Phoebe had nothing to do but be taken care of. I had once harbored some resentment towards her for that. Now none of that mattered anymore.

I snapped a few more pictures of the calm scenery. It was so beautiful here, that I didn't want to leave. I needed an escape from my harsh reality, and taking pictures provided that. I had to do something other than think of the sense of overwhelming hopelessness that I had felt since the crash. If I sat and just thought of it, I would surely fall to pieces.

My first role of film ran out, but before I took it out and replaced it, I took one last look around. Memories of childhood summer days came back to me in bits and pieces. When I was six, we had the last family picnic with both my mother and father in attendanceThen for my seventh birthday, my mom brought my sisters and I here for a little party. When I was about 9, My sisters would practice swimming in the lake. I would never swim though, I would never go near the water.

I don't think I had ever even been in this lake. It wasn't that it looked very dirty, since it clearly was. My sisters had both swam in it when they were younger. It was because since I was nearly 8, my fear of water had been nearly paralyzing. I wouldn't even look at any body of water. It brought back too many memories of the day my mom died. As I got older, it got a little better. I had never learned to swim, but the sight of water had stopped giving me nightmares.

This particular lake, where I had spent so long during my early childhood, made me remember the day my mother died more clearly than ever. We were at the camp by the lake, somewhere I hadn't been back to since. I was almost eight, and we were visiting the director there. My mother said she was going out, and she said I had to stay with the camp director. I wanted to go with her, I used to like the lake. The dirctor wasn't very observant, so I snuck out. That's where I saw my mother on the edge of the dock.

She was lying on the dock, and she wasn't moving. I was very afraid. There was water all around her. I was told I started to scream, but I don't remember that. The next thing I knew, there were police everywhere. I didn't understand what was happening, and nobody would talk to me. I was looked at in pity by everyone I met for the next year.

I didn't really know why I was thinking about this right now. I guess that the only other time I remembered feeling this alone and confused was right after my mother died. I quickly took the film canister out of the camera, put it in my knapsack, and replaced it with a new one. I needed to take one last picture before I left. It had to be something special, something that would always commemorate this time. I had a feeling I should remember this.

As I replaced the camera in my knapsack, I couldn't help thinking that the horrible things in my life just kept staking up. First there was my rebellious faze with that horrible boyfriend…and…well…that was terrifying. Then there's all these successful things that I was supposed to be doing, but I could never keep up with myself. Grams didn't help things much. She always expected me to take care of things. I wasn't aloud to go away after highschool like I wanted. Grams said she wanted to keep us together. It was all just so hard.

Sometimes, I just wanted it to over, I just wanted to end it. I would never kill myself, but that didn't stop me from thinking about it. Since the accident, I couldn't get the idea of ending my life out of my head. It was so tempting, and sometimes, it just seemed so easy. If I jumped of this bridge and landed in the lake, I probably wouldn't get out. I couldn't swim. No, I shook my head, I would not do that to myself. No matter how I felt, I would never do that.

I needed a picture of this place. I had to remind myself of my worst moment. I was worried sick about Phoebe, but this wasn't helping anyone, least of all myself. If I never wanted to be in this dark place again, I need a picture to make it tangible. I positioned myself at the perfect angle, and I took the picture.

It was time I left this place. It wasn't doing anyone any good having me stay here. I would just go home, and develop the pictures. Something told me that I needed to have this picture with me. There might be a time when I needed to be reminded of this dark place.

I went home quickly. Grams, although hesitant to let me pursue photography, had let me make my own mini dark room in the basement. I hummed to myself as I quickly developed the photos in the solution. They came out quite well. I layed most of them out on the desk. One of them in particular caught my eye. After I let it dry for a little, I picked it up.

It showed the view of the water, when standing on the bridge. I could even make out my reflection on the surface of the lake. I quickly got my purse from my room, and put the picture in my purse. Now I would go to the hospital, and I WOULD see Phoebe. I was still very worried about her, and I needed to see with my own eyes that she would be okay.

I felt a little better, now that I had a definite plan. I walked to the hospital. It was quite close, although kind of creepy since it was the middle of the night. I consulted my watch and realized that it was technically very early in the morning. I did my best to not imagine what Phoebe would look like. I just couldn't think like that.

I got to the hospital to find it nearly deserted. That was kind of shocking, because I had always thought injuries happen at any hour. What really surprised me was how easy it was to walk right in, and no one questioned me. I wandered around trying to find where Phoebe was, and no one said a thing.

I finally found the room, or at least, the hall that I knew would lead to the room. Grams had told me which room Phoebe was in. Okay, now that I had found it, it was time to go in. This was much more difficult than I thought it would be. The walk down the hall seemed to take forever. The long endless stretch of hallway would just never end. Finally, I got to the door. It was partially ajar, and I could hear voices from inside.

I pushed the door open, and felt overwhelming relief. Phoebe was sitting up in the bed, and she was smiling. She still looked pale, and there were machines everywhere. She looked like despite that, she was going to be fine. That made me feel so much better about myself. I hadn't killed her. I wasn't a monster.

Sitting beside her bed, first I saw Piper. She had a few cuts and bruises, but she looked fine. She looked like her old self. She was talking to Phoebe, and making her laugh. I wished for that kind of closeness with Phoebe, but I never had it. Right before I was going to walk into the room, I saw that there was another girl in the room.

She was sitting beside Piper, looking a little awkward. I was positive that I had never seen her before. That being said, she looked very familiar. The shape of her face, her hair, and her colouring was a bit looking at a younger version of myself. The only thing that was different was her eyes. They were dark brown, like Piper's, and like my mother's had been.

This was really freaking me out. Here was a girl who looked so like us that she could be our sister, and both Piper and Phoebe seemed somewhat comfortable with her. I was going to get to the bottom of this. It was time that I made my presence known. I coughed slightly, and they all looked up to stare at me.

"Prue!" Phoebe shouted gleefully. Suddenly, I forgot all of my confusion about the stranger melt away. Phoebe was fine, and she didn't seem angry with me. That was all that mattered. I ran up to her and pulled her into a warm hug. It felt so great just to hold her again.

W finally broke apart after what seemed like an eternity. That's when the questions bega, "Prue, where'd you go?" Phoebe asked. Simultaneously, I asked , "Phoebe, who is that girl? " We were both a little flustered. We didn't know who should answer first.

Finally, I said, "I just needed to get out for some air. I needed to think." I knew that wasn't a very satisfactory answer. However, I didn't want to tell her where I really wans. I was afraid of how we would react. I didn't want her to be angry with me. I was here now, and that was all that mattered. I now waited for an answerto my question.

It took Phoebe and Piper quite some time to explain about Paige. They told me about finding mom's diary, and learning about Sam. Then they told us how they went looking for Paige. When they were done, I was speechless to say the least. It all seemed just a little unbelievable. I couldn't believe that our mother could keep something like this fromus. And Grams…Grams must have known. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to process the enormity of this. Okay…I have another sister…I could deal with this…this was something I could deal with.

When I slowly opened my eyes, my two…no, three now, sisters were staring at me. Paige's actions reminded me so much of what Phoebe would do that it was scary. Just by watching her, it was easy to accept that I had another sister. It felt natural, like she belonged with us. I was getting a little too far ahead of myself. She had her own parents, who I was sure she loved very much. Any sisterhood between us had to be gradual.

Paige approached me cautiously. She seemed to be intimidated by me. I couldn't understand why that would be. "It's nice to meet you Prue", my new baby sister said rather nervously. I took her hand and shook it. This seemed rather formal, but exactly what she needed. She smiled at me as if she was receiving some long craved acceptance.

It was really weird being apparently admired by a short little eleven year old who looked so much like yourself. I took a chair and sat in it. This was all a little too much to take standing up. A new sister, Phoebe in the hospital and a car accident. That was a lot for one day.

Phoebe, who didn't like awkward silences, spoke. "So, anything have stuff to say?" I giggled a little. Leave it to Phoebe, even injured, to say something like that. Paige giggled too. She was much more like me than I thought. I guess our similarities extended much further than I look.

"I was just wondering…where's Grams?" I asked. Our Grandmother was very protective of us. It wasn't like her to leave us alone.

"Oh", said Phoebe looking up, slightly concerned, "I told her she could go home…Paige hid when she came here…way to much explaining…She didn't look well…" That really worried me. Grams had always been very healthy.

Paige was looking at Piper, with a curious expression on her face. "Piper…is something wrong?" she asked timidly.

Piper, who was still sitting down, surprisingly spoke up. "Well…actually…" Piper said with some hesitantly. I looked at my sister sharply. I recognized that tone of voice. That was the tone Piper didn't use very often, but I recognized what it meant. Piper was keeping something from us.

"Piper", I said warningly. I could tell she regretted saying anything at all. I also knew that she knew that she couldn't back down now. She looked very guilty, which was a bad sign. She mumbled something that was quite incoherent. "What was that?" I asked firmly.

"I saw dad", Piper said very quickly. As if saying it quickly would make things any better. I wanted to rage at her for hiding this from me. I knew this wouldn't be fair. The person I was really angry with was my father, and as usual, he wasn't there. I would not let myself succumb to my anger. I had come too far for that.

Phoebe too had anger as her first though. Phoebe and I were pretty similar too. However, due to her injuries, Phoebe didn't have the strength to argue. She would never be too weak to stop asking questions. "What did he say? Did he ask about me?" she asked. It pained me to hear the desperation in her voice.

"Yeah…he was wondering about all of us", Piper said quietly. I wanted to believe what she was saying, but it didn't make much sense. Our father had been completely out of our life for five years, and mostly out of our lives for ten. It made no sense that now he would suddenly care. I just hoped that Piper wasn't lying.

Phoebe seemed to accept her answer, at least on the outside. For the first time in a while, I was content with where I was in my life. It felt good to be here, and have my sisters with me. It was even much easier for me to accept Paige as a part of our family. I just wished that Grams was here. That's all it would take to make everything complete.

I almost forgot that we were in a hospital room, and it was the middle of the night. We were a family, and we would stay that way. "Everything's going to be fine now", I said with a smile. It was true that everything was fine in that particular moment. I tried to be an optimist, but with everything that had been happening lately, that was very difficult. . I couldn't help but wondering how long this happiness would last.

I hated to admit it, but I honestly thought that this happiness wouldn't last very long.


	10. Happens in a Heartbeat

**Chapter Nine: Happens in a Heartbeat**

**A/N: Well, I have nothing to do anymore! So bored! All my friends are on vacation…or have important stuff to do. I actually want school to start again. I really should leave the house. On the plus side, I have more time to write. I'm not sure if I actually will write…but I've written for four hours straight and finished two chapters, so I'm updating. ENJOY! **

The week that followed the car accident was very difficult for every member of the Halliwell family. Phoebe spent the full week in the hospital, recovering from her injuries. Prue and Piper had been allowed to stay out of school with their sister. Paige had eventually returned to her adoptive parents, and life had returned almost to normal for her. Grams, who had to take care of everything, was becoming increasingly stressed out.

Finally, a full seven days after the accident, Phoebe was aloud to come home. She insisted that she was completely recovered, so she went to school the next day. Her sisters went back to school that day too. Grams was a little worried, because if Phoebe wanted to go to school, something must be wrong. However, she let her youngest granddaughter go.

Little did Grams know, Phoebe had other reasons for wanting to go to school. Since the night of the accident, they hadn't seen or heard from Paige. Prue and Piper may not be that enthusiastic about having a new little sister, but Phoebe was excited. Finally, she would stop being the baby of the family.

It was almost certain that Paige went to the same middle school as Phoebe. Phoebe herself had never seen her there, but there weren't many other schools Paige could go to. She would just go to school, and look among the lowly sixth graders for her little sister.

It didn't take Phoebe very long to find Paige once she started looking. She had blown off her friends anxious questioning to look. When she reached a hallway that was often frequented by the school's younger students, she spotted Paige at last. "Paige!" Phoebe called out. Her newly found youngest sister looked up in surprise.

"Phoebe…hi! How are you?" Paige said in a rush. She picked up her school books in a rush and stuffed them into her bright pink school bag. "I didn't know you went here", Paige said, flinging her bag over her shoulder. They walked down the hallway together. They were instantly so at ease with each other. Phoebe just knew they could be friends as well as sisters.

"Yeah, I was looking for you", Phoebe said brightly. She had always been very direct. " Um…I'd really like to be friends with you. Why don't you come over for dinner tomorrow. You know the address?" Paige positively beamed at the other girl. She had been having trouble fitting in at her new school, and this was the chance she had been dreaming of. She had always wanted a sister, and Phoebe was the greatest.

"Yeah…I just need to ask my parents…I'll walk there with you after school?" Paige asked nervously. She really wanted Phoebe to like her.

"That sounds great", Phoebe said earnestly. It would be great to have a sister like Paige. The school bell interrupted their conversation. They said a quick goodbye and went their separate ways. Phoebe didn't see Paige at all during the rest of the day. She tried looking, but she was no where to be seen.

Paige couldn't be avoiding her…at least she didn't think so. She thought they were making some progress. She hoped that at least Paige would come over for dinner the next day.

The next day at school, Phoebe didn't see Paige either. Phoebe wondered if she was even at school. She wasn't sure whether or not her newly discovered younger sister would show up, but she had warned Grams just in case. She had said a friend would be coming over for dinner, and nothing more than that. Still…Paige hadn't called.

Phoebe stood near the front door of school, just in case. Five minutes after school, she saw Paige, who came running towards her. "Sorry about that", Paige said, stopping to catch her breath. "I've just been really busy all day." Phoebe noticed her sister didn't meet her eye as she said this, but she asked no questions.

They walked to the Halliwell manor in near silence. They only spoke occasionally, and only meaningless chit chat. Phoebe wondered if Grams would notice when she brought Paige home. The resemblance to their family was striking. She opened the door with her key, hoping no one was home. Instead, everyone was home, and they were yelling.

"Piper, I've told you never to go in my room!" Prue yelled from up the stairs. Phoebe and Paige entered the house timidly. Phoebe quietly closed the door behind them, not daring to venture any further.

"I wouldn't have to go in your room if you would clean it once in a while!" Piper yelled back furiously. It was the same old argument. Prue and Piper had been fighting a lot lately. Phoebe suspected there was a deeper reason for their fights, but she didn't want to pry.

Paige backed up a little. Phoebe didn't want to scare her away again. She looked around the house for Grams, and saw her in the kitchen. She was stiring a pot of something that smelt quite good. Clearly, she hadn't noticed Phoebe and Paige come in. She had, however, noticed her other granddaughters had been yelling.

"Prudence and Piper, if you don't stop yelling, you won't get any dinner!" Grams shouted. Phoebe noticed her grandmother sounded much more stressed out than usual. Phoebe was the only one who noticed. For once, she tried to stay out of the fighting.

The yelling upstairs immediately ceased, for which Phoebe was grateful. Paige was already looking very uncomfortable. "Hi Grams", Phoebe said softly. She didn't want her grandmother to be any more stressed out than she already was. Grams turned around, and her expression changed instantly.

She looked at Phoebe and Paige with a smile. "Why hello Phoebe. And this must be your friend…I'm sorry dear, I forgot your name." Grams was being so polite, that Phoebe didn't want to ruin her mood by telling the truth about Paige. In fact, Phoebe wouldn't have been surprised if Grams knew, but hadn't said anything.

"It's Paige", Paige responded timidly.

"Nice to meet you", Grams said quite distractidally, stirring the pot. "Now Phoebe darling, why don't you take your friend to your room until dinner time."

Phoebe did as she was told, because she didn't want to make her grandmother any angrier. Grams had been unusually stressed out lately. Phoebe hated to admit it, but she and her sisters weren't making things any easier. She tiptoed up the stairs, hoping not to be noticed by either Prue or Piper. Paige seemed to get the message, and she too tried to be quiet.

Unfortunately, Phoebe's room was right next to Prue's. They had to walk passed it. They paused for a moment before the door to see Prue and Piper still arguing. Those two would never let up. " I was just worried about you!" Piper was insisting. Now this was interesting.

Both Phoebe and Paige couldn't resist their shared instinct to break the rules. They both stayed and listened. Too bad there wasn't much left to listen to. "I'm fine!" Prue yelled very loudly. They saw Piper stumble out of the room right before Prue slamed the door shut. Then Piper ran into her room, and she slammed the door.

Now that her sisters had calmed down, Phoebe showed Paige into her very messy bedroom. The moment she saw it, Paige felt right at home. It was like her dream room, suddenly come to life. The walls were painted a very dark blue. All along the walls there were posters of angry looking rock bands. On Phoebe's night stand, there was tones of makeup, which immediately attracted Paige's attention.

She would never have been aloud to wear makeup. It was plain that Phoebe wore it all the time. Paige wasn't yet sure what she thought of Prue and Piper. One thing was for certain, she would definitely enjoy having Phoebe as an older sister. They had so much in common that it was almost eerie. As they talked, they realized they shared the same taste in everything.

There was no awkwardness between Phoebe and Paige. It was as if they had always known each other. They talked very naturally, until Penny Halliwell called them down for dinner. They truged down the stairs slowly, sad to end the time when they could be catching up on lost time.

When Paige and Phoebe got to the table, Prue and Piper were already there. They weren't speaking. Dinner was on the table, and Grams was trying desperately to keep the peace. If looks could kill…Prue and Piper would have killed each other long ago. Phoebe and Prue were usually the ones fighting, so for Phoebe, this was a welcome change.

They served themselves in silence. Grams looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown. Piper and Prue looked like they were using all the restraint they could muster not to strangle each other. Paige looked very nervous, which of course was understandable. Phoebe just looked tired.

The silence lasted for about ten minutes. It was the calm before the storm.

"Grams, Prue's been sneaking Andy up to her room again!" Piper yelled in an accusatory voice. Prue looked at her younger sister indignantly.

" Piper's been stealing my things!" Prue replied angrily. In Phoebe's opinion, it wasn't a very good comeback. Paige was watching this exchange with an interesting expression on her face. It was a mix between shock and amusement. She had told Phoebe that she wanted sisters her whole life. Perhaps after seeing the way they fought, she was reconsidering.

Grams didn't respond to this with yelling, as she normally good. Instead, she clutched her chest, gasping. Prue and Piper ceased fighting at once. "Grams, what's the matter?" they said simultaneously with concern. Grams simply shook her head, and sat down in a chair. She was taking deep breaths, and she looked a little pale.

All four of us got up at once. "Grams, what is it?" Phoebe said desperately.

"Mrs. Halliwell, can I do anything to help?" Paige asked timidly.

"I'm fine darling", Grams said, "You four should just run off now." Grams didn't really sound fine, but none of the sisters really wanted dto argue. That would just upset her more.

Piper began to clear the table and wash the dishes without being asked. That was just the type of person she was.

"Do you want any help?" Paige asked shyly. She so wanted to impress the older of her sisters. She felt it important that they like her. It was so easy for them to be sisters. They were born as sisters. The love had been there since before they could remember. Paige had been born their sister as well, but as she had been given up, she had to make her own place in their lives. Any love she received had to be earned.

" Oh, no. Thanks though", Piper said distractidly. She continued watching. They all looked around at Grams, who was no sitting on the couch, reading a book. She looked like she would be okay. Still, they couldn't be certain.

The shrill ringing of the phone broke the silence. "I'll get it!" Phoebe said brightly. She loved talking on the phone. She ran to the other room to get the phone, leaving Prue and Paige standing next to each other awkwardly.

"Hello?" Phoebe said cheerfully as she picked up the phone. She expected it to be one of her friends, or maybe her boyfriend. She would have even preferred a telemarketer to who was on the other end of the phone.

" Hello…is this…Phoebe? This is Victor, your father." Phoebe nearly dropped the phone in shock. Why was that – that _stranger _calling her? Did he really think she had anything to say to him? Phoebe had no idea where to begin. She was halfway between yelling in anger and bursting into tears.

"Hi…um…" she said nervously, twirling the phone cord between her fingers. She shot a nervous glance at her sisters. " I don't mean to be rude or whatever, but is there a reason why you're calling?" She heard some shuffling on the other side.

" I just want to talk", Victor said softly, " I want to explain some things."

Phoebe's head was spinning. How could he explain? There was no suitable explanation for what he did. There was no excuse for what he did. Did he really expect her to let him back into her life when he had abandoned her for five years? She wanted to, deep down, but she didn't know if she could do it.

"What if I don't want an explanation?" Phoebe mumbled bitterly.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, there was a very awkward silence. Prue didn't know what to say to Paige, and Paige didn't know what to say to Prue. Piper was busying herself cleaning. She wanted to stay out of it, whatever it was. Prue pulled out a chair from the small table in the kitchen and sat down.

Prue had to work hard to keep herself from crying, or falling over. She was so overwhelmed. Everything was just happening at once all of a sudden. It was a little much to take. Ever since she had turned seventeen, everything seemed to be going horribly wrong. Now, to top it all off, her grades were suffering, things weren't going so well with Andy and it looked as if something might be wrong with Grams.

She felt burning hot tears well up in the corner of her eyes. She faught valiantly to keep them from falling. Prue was tired, very tired. She could sleep for a week if possible. Paige was looking at her, and Prue didn't like that. She didn't want Paige to see the tears.

Paige was more observant than Prue had given her credit for. "What's wrong Prue?" Paige asked, her voice filled with genuine concern. Prue actually had to think to answer that question. She wasn't sure how much, if anything, she should tell Paige. Her new found baby sister really seemed to want to help.

The real answer she wanted to give was 'everything'. That would be the truth. She couldn't say that to Paige though. Prue barely knew her, she was practically a stranger. So instead of the truth, Prue answered, "nothing."

Paige didn't believe the answer, but she didn't press any further. She looked to the phone to see that Phoebe was still on it. She looked very angry, and she spoke very little. Piper had stopped cleaning, and she was starring at Grams intently. She didn't look well at all.

Grams got up shakily from the couch, and walked a few steps towards them. Then two things happened at once. Firstly, Phoebe slammed the phone down so hard that it fell to the ground. Then she swore loudly. I don't think Grams noticed.

Grams had stopped suddenly. Then, without notice, she fell to the floor. All four girls were at her side at once. Prue checked for a pulse. It was there, but very weak and erratic. They had no idea what to do. It had happened so suddenly, without warning.

"Somebody has to call 911!" Prue yelled.

**TBC...this fic has no magic...you should be able to figure out how this turns out...don't worry.**


	11. The End of Everything

**Chapter 10: The End of Everything**

**A/N: I didn't intend to update this yet, but I thought some reviews would make me feel better. Having a very sucky summer. I have lots of time to write now, so I'm trying to make myself do it. This chapter is mostly about where Paige goes. What happens to Grams is discussed in the next chapter. I have a lot of ideas for this story…so just gotta make myself write them. Read and Review! It'll motivate me!**

The ambulance arrived fairly quickly, but to the Halliwell sisters, it seemed like a lifetime. All four of them crouched around their grandmother. Prue, who was trained in CPR, started doing artificial breathing, and chest compressions. She was instructing Piper in how to assist her, but it made very little difference. Prue didn't want to say it aloud, but CPR could only do so much.

When the ambulance finally arrived, Phoebe let them in, and showed them where Grams still lay. Everyone was pushed out of the way while a small crown of paramedics crowded around Grams. Prue kept trying to find out what was the matter, but no one would tell her anything. She hate dnot knowing what was going on, and the fact that they wouldn't let her seemed only to be a bad sign.

Paige was scared. She had never been part of an emergency situation like this. When Phoebe had had her accident, she had come to see her only after the fact. Now every moment counted. A single action could be the difference between life and death. This was the first time Paige had met Mrs. Halliwell, but none the less she was very concerned. Already, Mrs. Halliwell felt like family.

It seemed like the paramedics had been there for hours, but in reality, it was only a minute or two. They talked in hushed voices, so none of the girls could hear. What could they hear that was so bad?

As the paramedics put Grams onto a stretcher, the sisters followed. A harried looking young man ran to them and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, but only two of you can go in the ambulance."

Prue, Piper and Phoebe looked at each other. For the first time, Paige felt a little left out. The Halliwells had such a bond that they could communicate without saying a word. Paige wanted that. "It's okay Prue, you and Phoebe can go. I'll stay here with Paige." Paige looked at them incredulously. She could't figure out how they had done this; communicate with no words.

Prue gave her a swift searching look. "Are you sure?" she asked incredulously. Piper hesitated for a moment, then nodded. There were silent tears running down her face. Phoebe and Prue made there way to the door. With one last look at Paige and Piper, they left. Neither Piper nor Paige knew how long they'd be gone.

Piper sat down on the couch, and Paige took a seat on the arm chair after her. They didn't know what to say to each other. For a while they listened to the sound of the siren getting further and further away. There was a very awkward silence. Paige couldn't help but admire the way Piper was always so nice, and seemed so strong in every situation.

Piper also couldn't help but admire Paige. She had everything that Piper had always wanted. She had a mother, a father, and she had confidence. This awkward silence was horrible for the both of them.

Finally Paige said, " Piper…um…are you okay?" Piper looked up. Her eyes met Paige's, and once again, she saw the striking similarity in both of their eyes. It was understandable, but sometimes, the two of them forgot that they were truly sisters.

Piper thought a few moments before answering Paige's question. Was she really okay? "I guess I'm as okay as I'd ever be", she said hesitantly. "Very worried of course", she paused, "You know what would make me feel better?"

"What?" Paige said eagerly. It wasn't only making Piper feel better that she was eager about. Anything was better than this awkward silence. She also secretly hoped that she and Piper could bond. Perhaps they would form the sisterly bond she so envied. The sister she had always dreamed about was exactly like Piper.

"I'd really like to cook something", she said. "it always makes me feel better."

So Piper and Paige went to the kitchen. Paige didn't enjoy cooking at all, but she wanted to help. She wanted Piper to like her. Piper seemed a little happier, a little more like herself. She grabbed one of the many cookbooks along one of the shelves. It seemed like Grams enjoyed to cook as well. Piper picked out a simple recipe for chocolate cake and they got to work.

Now not only did Paige dislike cooking, she was also bad at it, but under Piper guidance, she did okay. Piper seemed so at home in the kitchen. It all looked so natural for her. Her hands moved with ease, and she didin't even have to look at the ingredients. All the while she hummed, but she didn't say a word. It didn't feel as awkward as Paige had expected it to be

Finally, she put the cake in the oven, sat down and sighed. ""Thanks for doing that with me Paige", she said earnestly.

"No problem", Paige said with a smile.She enjoyed Piper's approval, which she so craved.

"You know, we could do a lot together. You're really cool.", Piper said with a smile. Piper was finally truly warming up to the fact that she now had three sisters instead of two.

" I think so too", Paige said. Now she too was smiling.

"I'm glad that you're my sister, Piper said softly.

Paige was positively beaming when she heard this. She knew that it was difficult for Piper to call her a sister. She had never called her "sister" before.With that one simple word, Piper had accepted Paige into the family. "I'm glad we're sisters too", Paige replied getting a little choked up. Then they hugged.

At that moment, the door bell rang. Piper rushed to get it. She was hoping it was Prue or Phoebe, coming to tell them about Grams. A smiling, vaguely familiar women stood in the doorway. "Hi, is Paige there? I'm her mom", she said kindly. Piper had almost forgotten that Paige didn't live there…that she had a different family. Paige heard her mother at the door, so she came up to meet them.

"Hi mom", Paige said. Piper could tell her baby sister was hesitating for some reason. She thought that Paige might tell her mother about what happened to Grams, but she didn't. "Do you think I can sleep over or something?" Paige asked.

Mrs. Matthews considered this for a moment. Paige almost thought she'd say yes. "I'm sorry, but you have school tomorrow, and your father has off, so it's family game night.", Mrs. Matthews said patiently. Paige protested a lot. She hated family game night. She was much too old to enjoy it anymore. It was becoming her biweekly torture.

Every other weeks, when Mr. Matthews, a firefighter, had a day off from work, the Matthews family had a family game night. They would go out for dinner at a restaurant, go home, and play a game. Paige used to look forward to these nights, and enjoyed them thoroughly when she was much younger. Recently, she began to hate all things she deemed childish, and family game night was one of them. She just didn't like it anymore.

Tonight, family game night would be doubly worse. For one thing, she was very worried about Mrs. Halliwell. She wanted to spend time with her new sisters. She had yet to tell her parents about finding them. Paige was pretty sure they didn't have a clue as to what was going on. Paige once had a very close relationship with her parents, but she felt they didn't understand her anymore. They didn't really have much to talk about.

"It's okay Paige…I'll be okay", Piper said. Paige wasn't really reassured. Begrudgingly, Paige followed her mother out the door and into the car. Her father was already waiting, which was unusual. Usually, they went to pick him up at the firestation. Paige supposed today he had gotten off work early.

Paige tried to push any negative thoughts from her mind, but apparently, it wasn't working. She wanted to at least pretend to enjoy tonight for her parents' sake, but she just couldn't do it. "Paige, honey, I just can't understand why you're sulking. You've been so distant lately. This family night used to be one of the highlights of your life. It's good for us as a family. I just couldn't understand what changed."

That tone of voice made Paige furious. She couldn't believe that her mother could get away with talking to her like that. If she'd talked to her mother like that, she'd surely be grouded. What really angered her was the same disappointed and slightly condescending tone Paige heard every day. I'm growing up, and anything I do is never good enough for you, that's what changed! That's what Paige wanted to yell, but she didn't have enough guts for that.

What Paige did instead was stare at her feet and mumble, "I just don't like it anymore."

Mrs. Matthews had no response to this, but Paige's father sure had a lot to say. "Well, you had better enjoy it tonight, because your report card just came in, and I wasn't happy." Paige cringed at this. Her report card was never antying to be proud of, but that wasn't her fault.

It was true that Paige's marks weren't that great. This was partially because of her lack of effort in certain subjects. Things like math and science were so boring to her they put her to sleep. Well...not literally, but she found it difficult to pay attention. It was also very difficult for her to understand. Of course, her parents hadn't noticed her As in art and music. Either that, or they didn't care. Paige tended to belive that they didn't care.

For five minutes, the car was total silence. Paige didn't like uncomfortable silences like this. Mrs. Matthews had told Paige which restaurant they were going to. It was an okay place about 25 minutes away. They had been in the car for slightly more than five minutes, and to Paige, it felt like a lifetime. After five minutes, Mr. Matthews had to speak.

He had a hurried, whispered conversation with his wife. " You know, I don't know what to do with Paige. She's been skipping school, and she won't listen to a word we say", he said. Paige tried to tune out to what they were saying, just like she always did. It was really hard when they were saying those things about her.

"I don't know what to do any more", Mrs. Matthews was saying, "I don't know where we went wrong." Wrong? There was nothing wrong with Paige. She couldn't believe that her parents were saying this. It made her feel horrible, being talked about like this. They would never understand, not ever.

She covered her ears with her hands in an effort to physically block them out. It didn't work. She could still here them talk about what to do with their problem child:her. It went on for almost ten minutes. Paige wished that they would get to the restaurant so she could choke down her dinner in relative silence.

Dinner had always been an uncomfortable meal for Paige. When they went out, it wasn't much better. Her parents didn't try to talk to her, instead, they talked about her. It was like she wasn't here, or she was so stupid that she wouldn't understand. They spent most evening meals pointing out all of her faults, saying what was wrong with her. Paige didn't think there was anything wrong with her. Today, it seemed they were getting an early start to their Paige bashing.

And her parents wondered why she didn't talk to them! The both of them were horrible. Paige couldn't stand her faults being pointed out any longer. "Will you just stop it!", she yelled. Her parents turned to stare at her, shocked by her boldness. It shocked Paige a little too. The moment Mr. Matthews turned to Paige, his eyes left the road and the car swerved a bit.

This brought Paige to her senses for a moment. She was outraged. Parents weren't supposed to talk like that, especially when their child was around. Still, her furry was burning her up from the inside. "You're not my real parents", Paige muttered. Her parents didn't immediately react to this. She saw her father's jaw clench slightly, and a tear run down her mother's eye.

"What did you say?" Mr. Matthews said coldly.

His reaction only fueled Paige's anger. "You're not my real parents!" This time she yelled it, and her voice was much angrier. Immediately after she said it, a part of her regretted it. It wasn't true...not really. Mostly, it just felt good to make them as angry as they were making her.

Mr. Matthews turned around to yell at her again. What he was going to say, Paige would never know. Her father never saw the large truck turning the corner. There was a screeching of tires, then a scream.

She could hear a loud noise, lots of spinning. She felt dizzy. She would surely pass out. She couldn't see anything anymore...

The next thing Paige knew, she was lying face down on the sidewalk. It took her a moment to realize where she was. It took another moment for her to remember what had happened. She looked around for her parents, but didn't see them anywhere. "Mom? Dad?" she yelled. There was no answer.

She didn't recognize where she was. All she knew was that she was on cold grass. She couldn't see thier car, and she didn't understand what had happend. She found the road, and she felt a burning sensation in her throat like she was going to cry.

That's when she saw the fire. It was an enormous ball of fire, flying into the air. Paige realized that that was what used to be her car. If her parents weren't out here with her, she knew that they must still be in there. The tears started almost immediately, for she had realized what must have happened. They were gone. Her parents weren't coming back, and the last thing she had done was fight with them.

Paige couldn't stop looking at the fire, although she desperately wanted to. There was already a crowd forming around it, watching it consume the car, and take her parents away from her. There was no way anyone could no she had been in that car just moments ago. She looked herself over and saw a couple of bruises; nothing serious.

She stared at the fire, and felt that it wasn't just destroying her car, it was destroying her life. As it flickered upwards into the air, it took everything she had ever known with her. She may complain about her parents, in fact, she had been complaining about them a lot lately. But until that moment, Paige realized how good she had it. All of her life, she had had evertying give to her. Only when it was all taken away in a fiery instant like that did she realize how good it had been.

She didn't know why she was rooted to the spot. She had no idea why she couldn't look away from the fire. Secretly in the back of her mind she hoped that somehow they would walk out of the fire unscathed. Paige wished that they would walk to her, and hug her, and tell her everything would be okay. It was always her mother that would make everything better. Now that she couldn't have her, she wanted her mother more than anything.

Someone from a nearby house had grabbed a hose and put out the fire. She was too far away to see what they were doing, but she could hear them from there. "There's nothing we can do. They're dead", one man said.

Paige had suspected that her parents were dead the moment she saw the fire. Hearing it like this, said with such finality, was almost more than she could bear. Should she let her presence be known? Talk to the group of people who had tried to help? No, she wouldn't alret them to her presence. She didn't know why, but she didn't want them to see her.

Somehow, she couldn't bring herself to do it. It would make everything real. She didn't think she was ready to feel that. She had always proclaimed that she didn't need her parents, and she was too mature for them to do things for her. Now she needed them more than ever. For the first time in her life she was all alone, and she was terrified. She had no idea what she was going to do now. She was too young to be making such decisions.

She sat down on the grass, and tried to become invisible. She would have given anything to be invisible at that very moment. It was really bothering her that she wasn't crying. You were supposed to cry after something like this. After the initial tears had dried up, she felt nothing but numbness. Perhaps she was in shock. No, that wasn't it. After realizing that her parents weren't coming, Paige felt angry. Paige felt even angrier than she had been while fighting with her parents in the car.

She was angry with her parents. Not just angry, she was furious. How could they are leave her like this? How dare they! She was alone now, alone and helpless, and it was all thier fault! They left her needing them more than she had ever needed them before.She was so angry that they would do something like this. She knew it was stupid to feel like this, but she wasn't exactly thinking clearly. An ambulance had just arrived, and they were moving her parents' bodies. She supposed thety hadn't found out about her yet. She hoped they never would.

She couldn't see them clearly from where she was sitting, but it was something she could not bare to watch. That was one of the reasons she was not moving closer. Seeing her parents bodies would mean that they were really dead. Seeing actual corpses was something that you couldn't block out. You couldn't pretend that it wasn't real.

Paige's anger evaporated very quickly. She had always had a fiery temper, as her mother put it, but she never stayed angry very long. She quickly realized she was being stupid . However, her anger was replaced with something much worse. She felt an sense of unbearable guilt, and this time, she was positive she wasn't being stupid. She was very right to feel guilty, because this was all her fault.

If she hadn't been so sulky, her parents wouldn't have been so angry. If she had just kept her big mouth shut, the accident would never have happened. If she hadn't been such a horrible person, her parents would still be alive. Now talk about cruel that she would be alive, and they weren't. This would be her punishment, and she knew it.

Paige was a horrible daughter, and she had had parents who had given her anything. She should have died in that car, and her parents should have lived. That would make more sense. Paige was the one who had cause the accident, and she was the one who was such a horrible person. Her parents didn't deserve this. She had as good as killed the, and nothing anyone could say would change that. She now had to live with that guilt, because she had lived, and they had died.

She sat there for a long time. Exactly how long it was, she didn't know. Someone had already come to take the car away, and the crowd around it had disappeared. She was getting a little cold. She had to think of somewhere to go very quickly. She couldn't just sit here all night, although she wanted to.

Sitting in that spot, she almost believed that she was invisible. Peple passed on the distant sidewalk, and although she knew it wasn't true, she felt like they were staring at her. Someone would come looking for her eventually. Paige wanted no one to see her. She had basically killed her parents. If people saw her, they would know. She didn't want anyone to know. Paige knew she'd have to tell someone eventually, but she couldn't form the words.

There was a reason Paige was having difficulty willing herself to move. Without her parents, she had no where to go. Now that they were dead, she was all alone in the world. She might as well have died with them. Any way she looked at it, her parents' death was all her fault. She was a horrible person, and she had killed them.

How could she live with herself?

**TBC...**

**Well, there's some dying...it was hard to write, so I hope i did it well. I dunno how soon I'll be able to update...so I've decided to give you the next five chapter titles, which live in my head, and are** **all mostly planned. Chapter 11: A New Beggining, Chapter 12: Sam, Chapter 13: Anniversaries, Chapter 14: Freebie, Chapter 15: I Saw Andy**

**Have fun guessing what those chapters are about! Hope i'll write them and you read them soon! A New Beggining and Sam are already written.**


	12. A New Beggining

**A New Beginning **

**A/N: This chapter took me forever to write. It was also very difficult to write, and I did a lot of fixing. I hope you like it. The next chapter (called Sam) was very easy to write, so I hope to update soon. School has just started, and with it, lots of work, so I don't know how often I'll be able to write. Hopefully a lot. Enjoy the chapter! **

Paige was never quite clear on how she managed to get to the hospital. She didn't even know how she knew that she had to go there. Paige just started walking. It made sense to go see her sisters. As far as she knew, Grams and them were the only family shehad. Despite her unbearable grief over the death of her parents, she still cared deeply about Mrs. Halliwell and was very worried.

Since she had no parents anymore, she had to go somewhere. She couldn't just live on the street. Paige desperately wanted to live with Mrs. Halliwell and her sisters. If she lived there, Paige could somehow imagine living with herself. If she lived there, Paige could imagine her life ceasing to be the endless black hole it had become.

Would Mrs. Halliwell accept her as a granddaughter? As far as she knew, Mrs. Halliwell didn't even know who she was. Paige could just imagine the old woman's reaction to learning Paige's true identity. When Mrs. Halliwell saw her, she would forever see an illegitamite grandchild who belonged nowhere in their family. She felt stupid even thinking it. She would always be the one that they hadn't wanted.

Paige continued walking to the hospital anyways. It wasn't like she had anywhere else to go. She also really wanted to see Grams. Just make sure Grams was okay, then she could leave to…who knows where. After all this was over, Paige hoped she could at least see her sisters sometimes. They had been starting to become friends.

It didn't take Paige long to get to the hospital where Grams was taken. The route had become much too familiar. The interior of the hospital was becoming familiar aswell. It didn't take her long to find the section of the hospital where Grams would be. As soon as Paige got to the waiting room, she saw Piper and Prue sitting there, looking horrible.

Prue looked worse than Piper did. The few times Paige had seen Prue in the past, the older girl had seemed so confident and well put together. Now she was paler than usual, her mascara was running down her cheeks from the tears, and her eyes were red and bloodshot. She looked broken. In fact, she looked exactly how Paige felt.

For the most part, Piper looked simply uncomfortable. She had told Paige how much she didn't like hospitals. Well, she was bound to dislike them even more now. Piper's eyes were fixed firmly on the ground, and Paige could only guess what she may be thinking.

Neither of them had seen Paige, and that's exactly how she wanted it. If they saw her, she have to explain. She'd have to tell them what happened. Paige didn't want to do that. Paige didn't even think she could say it. Her parents' death seemed like nothing more that a bad dream. Paige just wanted to wake up.

The people who had taken away her parents' bodies would have discovered her exsistance by now. They would probably be looking for. It was stupid to even go to the hospital. Paige figured she should just leave before her sisters saw her. If they saw her, she would have to tell them. If she told them, the death would stop being a nightmare. If she told them, it would be real.

As it turns out, Paige would have no time to make a quick exit. Piper had seen her. "Paige!" Piper yelled, " We're so glad you're here. They said Grams would be okay…it wasn't that major of a heart attack. We're only aloud to see her one at a time, so now it's Phoebe's turn."

Paige walked over to where her two oldest sisters were sitting. She quickly wiped away any tears she had. After the car crash, she hadn't been crying much, but she didn't want them to know anything was wrong. Paige took a seat beside Piper, and hoped that she didn't notice a thing.

"So Paige, your parents let you come?" Piper asked. "I was so worried about Grams, that I actually walked to the hospital. The doctor promised she would be fine, so it's okay now."

She said this all very fast. Piper was being much more chatty than usual. Prue however wasn't saying a word. It was like a reversal of roles. At that moment, Phoebe came walking down the hallway, looking visibly calmer than both of her sisters. "She's doing much better, and the doctor said we could all see her", Phoebe told Piper and Prue with a smile.

"Paige! It's so great that you're here – what's wrong?" Phoebe said when she saw me. I didn't know why she thought something was wrong. I was concentrating all of my energy on not letting it show. Phoebe couldn't be that perspective…could she? I wasn't crying anymore. My feelings had kind of moved to somewhat numb disbelief.

" Nothing…nothing's wrong!" Paige said very quickly. She spoke a little too quickly for Phoebe to believe her. The older girl said nothing, but she knew something was up. Already, Paige seemed to be developing the bond she so envied with at least one sister. If Phoebe knew what was eating Paige up inside, she didn't let on.

" Well, Grams is right this way", Phoebe said slowly. They followed her down the hallway. They stopped at a bright, and pretty cheerful looking private room. Grams was lying in the bed in the center looking very much like herself. When she saw her grandchildren, her expression brightened. Paige may or may not have imagined it, but she thought her grandmother's expression looked slightly uneasy when she saw her.

As quickly as the unease appeared, it vanished. Grams smiled widely, a smile that looked a little fake in Paige's opinion. " Come here my darlings!" Grams said, sounding very much like her old self. Prue, Piper and Phoebe rushed into their grandmother's open arms, and what followed was the longest group hug Paige had ever seen. She didn't join in. She didn't belong there.

When they broke apart, Grams looked at Paige for a moment. They stared at each other for several moments. It was with that look that they both understood. Paige knew that Grams knew who she was. It was okay. She didn't have to worry anymore. "Paige…your name is Paige…another P", Grams said softly.

Piper, on the other hand, looked at them in a bewildered fashion. "What do you mean Grams? Paige is our friend…you just met her…remember?" Piper sounded worried, and Paige pitied her. She also wondered what Mrs. Halliwell would say. Now seemed as good a time as any for an explanation. Paige wanted an explination.

Prue and Phoebe were also looking at their grandmother intently. Everyone in the room was waiting. The atmosphere of anticipation was palpable in the stark white of the hospital room. Grams shifted uncomfortably on her bed. All four pairs of eyes were on her. She cleared her throat nervously, but said nothing.

"Grams…do you know who she is?" Phoebe asked in wonderment. Fjijnally, she was catching on, and Grams had no choice but to explain. This was a loaded question, much more than any of them had ever imagined. Penny Halliwell thought long and hard before she answered. She had to decide whether to tell them the truth, and how much of it she should tell.

Finally, she decided to tell them the truth, or at least…most of it. " I know exactly who Paige is", Grams said. Prue and Piper gasped, and Phoebe looked wide eyed. Paige just stood there, listening carefully. She would finally learn what she wanted to know. She wanted a real family again, and maybe here was where she would find it.

Phoebe, always the loudmouth, said, " You mean.." She was cut off by Prue impatiently putting her finger to her lips.

Grams continued in her story, despite the interruption. They all had the sense that she was choosing her words very carefully. "I was the only one that knew when Patty – your mother – was with Sam", Grams said. She struggled to continue. After all these years, it was still very difficult. At the time, everyone had thought it was for the best. Now, Penny wasn't so sure.

"I tried to persuade her to end it, but my daughter…she just wouldn't listen! She was still married for goodness sake, but she was convinced that she was in love! Well, when Patty got pregnant, it had to be kept secret. You three needed a father, and Sam could never be one. Patty and Victor's marriage, it was always a bit shaky. It was difficult enough for her to raise three kids…let alone another…"

Grams stopped. Paige knew that this would be the most difficult part of her story. Grams would finally tell them all why Paige had given up. Soon, she would get the answers she had long craved. Paige didn't know what she expected, after all those long years of wondering. She had hoped for something spectacular, that would make her feel better.

Now Grams was struggling. She couldn't seem to find the words. "We all loved you Paige darling, love was never a question…I did, your mother did…so did Sam-your father." Hearing Mrs. Halliwell say that, made Paige feel a lot better. All she ever really needed was to be sure that her birth family had loved her. Now she knew that it was true.

"We thought that it would be best…for all of us", Grams said finally after a long pause. Grams waited, more nervously than any of the grandchildren she had raised had ever seen. It was eerily silent in the hospital room. All they could hear was the bleap of the machines, and the distant muffle of feet from outside the door.

Grams looked a little happier, younger even. This secret she had been harbouring for years had finally come out in the open. Now she looked to the granddaughter she had convinced her daughter to give up many years ago, and she wondered if she had done the right thing. Paige looked like she was well cared for, and that she had an okay life. Penny Halliwell learned long ago that looks could be deceiving.

Piper noticed that all of them looked much happier after Grams' little speech. Even Prue managed a small smile or two. They had no idea what they were going to do next, but somehow, it didn't matter. They were happy, just sitting there and talking. They were talking with Grams about finally getting away from the disgusting hospital food, or about Piper's upcoming science test, or Phoebe's most recent detention.

Grams, Piper, Prue and Phoebe were talking very happily, about nothing in particular. They were all so comfortable with each other. Paige felt comfortable around them too, but somehow, she felt very separate. It wasn't as if they were excluding her from the conversation. They asked her things every once in a while, and she replied with monosyllabic answers.

The reason Paige was so quiet was that she knew the time had come where she would have to tell them what had happened. She couldn't keep it a secret forever. Paige had no where else to go. They seemed so comfortable with the fact that she was indeed family, so it made sense for her to stay there. There was a reason she didn't tell her newfound family what had happened to her adoptive parents.

She didn't want to remember. Paige didn't want to have to live through the horrible experience again and again. Examining the very raw memories would do just that. For now, Paige had settled in a state of numb disbelief. She was very happy in that state, and she didn't want to leave it. For the moment, she kept her mouth shut.

Her grandmother understood much more than most ever gave her credit for. ,She looked at her youngest granddaughter, Paige, with a stern gaze that Paige thought she'd be seeing again and again. It was the stern look she reserved for the 'I know you're doing something wrong, so fess up' type situations. Paige knew she had to tell her grandmother the truth.

She took a deep breath, trying to find the words to say what she had to say. "They're dead", she said finally. That was all she had to say. The tears in the room were instant. Soon, Paige's sisters were making sympathetic comments, and asking if they could do anything to help. She appreciated it, really she did, but she didn't pay enough attention to what they were saying. Right now, to her, the only reaction that mattered was that of her grandmother.

Grams was quiet for a moment. She was thinking. Finally, in a softer voice than she normally used; she said, "Well, of course you're staying with us." Paige was overcome with a feeling of relief. She had somewhere to stay! Maybe she wasn't as alone in the world as she thought.

Her sisters were so exciting about this idea, and their excitement was infectious. Prue felt that Paige reminded her of herself, and was certain they would get along. Piper loved that someone finally looked up to her. Phoebe had always wanted a sister. Grams knew that it was her duty to take care of all her grandchildren. As for Paige herself, all she wanted was a family. Their family was complete.

A week later, when Grams was discharged from the hospital with strict order to rest, Paige was already living at the Halliwell manor. Once Grams was able to prove that Paige was her blood relative, she was given guardianship of Paige. It was a difficult adjustment for them all, but they were learning to deal with it.

Paige was developing a particularly close relationship with Piper. They had a lot more in common than they had previously realized. They both adored reading, and they shared the book they had. Although Paige was a rebel like Phoebe, it took her a while to make new friends. Paige was trying to teach her older sister to be more confident.

There was one very difficult thing that Paige had to do mere days after she had moved into Halliwell Manor. It was her parents funeral, in the cemetery just down the street from her church. It seemed surreal that only days ago, Paige, Piper and Phoebe had met in that very church. Paige's aunt Julie had come from Washington with her uncle and cousin.

Grams drove Paige to the funeral. Prue, Piper and Phoebe came along, even though Paige told them they didn't have to. It was weird seeing all of the people she knew, dressed in black, being so somber. There were also a lot of strange strangers, telling her they were sorry for her loss. It was all in all very weird and confusing.

Finally, Paige had a moment alone with her parents grave. Those pieces of stone in the ground represented a loss of her old life. She couldn't stand to look at them. It hurt to even be in the cemetery. But she stayed, and listened to some old guy giving her parents eulogy. What he was saying meant nothing.

Paige wished that they would talk about their family game night. Or maybe they could mention that her father had such a loud laugh and he laughed at all her jokes. Or that her mother cooked such wonderful meals. No one here really knew her parents at all, but for the first time in her life, she was confident that she knew them.

Somehow she felt better. Somehow, her heart felt ten times lighter. Thinking about all of the real good times she had had with her parents was in a way therapeutic. She knew that she would take a long time to heal. She also knew that she was on her way.

After the funeral, things went back to normal in the Halliwell household. At least, they went back to as normal as they ever were. The girls went to school like they always did. Paige and Phoebe got into a lot less trouble than they used to. The girls were getting along well with each other, and Paige was a part of the family.

One day, Paige decided to ask Grams something she had been wondering about for a long time. "Grams?" she asked. Her grandmother looked up from the paper she was reading. "I was wondering…what happened to my father? Where is he? I'd like to meet him." Grams hesitated, and Paige was certain she didn't want to answer her. "It's okay if you don't want to answer", Paige said quickly.

"It's not that", Grams replied, "It's just that no one had seen Sam, your father, since right after you were born."


	13. Sam

**Chapter 12: Sam**

**A/N: I've been working on this for a long time. Blame stupid school for getting in the way! But now, I have a little time, so I'm just going to write. Despite how long this chapter has taken me, it's been very easy to write, so hopefully that means it's good. Read, review and enjoy!**

Paige hadn't really been herself for the past few days. No one was a hundred percent sure why. Phoebe had tried talking to her younger sister about it, but Paige had said that it was none of her business. They were family now, so everything was her business. When she couldn't get an answer from Paige, Phoebe had tried going to her other sisters for help. Prue had been to preoccupied to even notice. Piper, however, was just as worried as Phoebe was.

Neither of them liked how quiet Paige was being. They hadn't known Paige very long, but they did know that she was usually a chatter box. Now she was spending a lot of time alone in her room. Phoebe knew she wasn't studying like she claimed to be. It was Piper who had discovered a clue to what their baby sister was up to. She wanted to look through the box of her mother's old thing again, but she couldn't find it. Prue and Phoebe promised they hadn't taken it, and Grams wouldn't even look at it.

That only left Paige. They weren't quite sure what their little sister wanted with that box. They guessed that it was natural that Paige would want to learn about the mother she had never known. There was something else that none of them knew about. Grams didn't think it was that big of a deal when Paige asked about her father. Little did she know, that Sam was all Paige had been able to think about. He was still alive, and she wanted to know him.

Paige had spent several days pouring through the old letters. She figured it would be a while before anyone noticed they were missing. She found everything in the box of her mother's old things very fascinating, but most of all, she was fascinated by the letters to a man named Sam. Patty Halliwell had loved Sam. The letters made that clear. It sounded like they were destined to be together. Judging by the letters, they had loved Paige, their newborn.

If that was so, Paige couldn't see why they had given her up. And after that, why had Sam disappeared for so long? She wanted answers, and she was determined to get them. One thing Paige had inherited from her grandmother, her mother, and her sisters was both their stubbornness, and their determination. She was going to find Sam, and nothing anyone could do or say would change that.

The problem was, she didn't know where to start. After the year of her birth, 1978, Sam Wilder had simply disappeared. He had left no trace what so ever. On the suggestion of her history teacher, she even searched the public records at the large library downtown. She had lied to her grandmother and said she was doing a project. The excursion was pointless. Her father had no records.

She had tried to put her quest out of her mind when her grandmother had made an announcement one sunny Saturday morning. "Girls, I believe it's time we had a family outing. We're going to the fair", she said. None of the sisters looked to enthused at the idea, but none of them objected. Instead, they packed their lunches, changed their clothes, and hearded into the car.

"Nice shirt Paige", Prue mumbled as she climbed into the car. It was rare that Prue said a word to Paige, let alone compliment her. That's why Paige couldn't help but smiling as she got into the car. She desperately wanted her oldest sister to like her. They didn't talk about much during the short drive to the fair. Phoebe discussed this guy she liked, and Piper complained about the outrageous amount of math homework she had been assigned. Both Prue and Paige were unusually quiet.

When they got to the fair, it was hard for them not to be excited. They just stood there for a moment, taking in the atmosphere. It wasn't a very big fair, but there was plenty to do. The Halliwells watched as people went on rides, played games, and ate things such as cotton candy. As in any family, there was a fight about where to go first. Piper wanted to try some carnival games. Paige wanted cotton candy. Phoebe wanted to go on the most exciting of the rides. Prue said she didn't care.

Finally, Grams said they each must take turns deciding what to do. First Grams wanted to go oldest to youngest, but Paige said it wasn't fair. Then Grams said they would start with the youngest, but Piper said it wasn't fair. Finally Grams let Phoebe go first, because she had complained the least. Phoebe excitedly led them to the back of the fair grounds, where all the rides were.

The ride Phoebe chose sure promised to be fun. In this ride, you lay on your stomach and were taken high into the air, around din a circle. It was just the type of ride Phoebe would choose. Luckily, they got through the line quickly, and they were on the ride. Piper looked a little nauseous (she had never much liked heights), but Paige, Phoebe and even Prue were having a blast. Grams couldn't ride because of her heart condition.

"This is so fun! Like a dream come true!" Phoebe yelled over the wind the ride was making. All of her life, Phoebe had dreamed of two things; her mother being alive again, and flying. Now, one of her dreams were coming through. She closed her eyes, and concentrated on this glorious sensation. She was like a bird, flying through the air. Phoebe was really disappointed when the ride lowered to the ground and it was over.

When the girls went back to their grandmother, Phoebe was talking a mile a minute. "That was the best ride ever. I felt like I was flying! When I grow up, I'll fly, you just wait" Phoebe said in a rush of excitement. As impossible as it was, Grams didn't doubt for a moment that her granddaughter would find a way. Meanwhile, Piper still looked a little nauseous.

It was Paige's turn to choose next. She forgot all about cotton candy, and chose the merry go round, a favourite from her early childhood. Her parents had taken Paige on more merry-go-rounds than she could count. She always chose the white horses, and pretended she was a princess. Just thinking about this tradition with her parents got teary, but she still wanted to go on the merry-go-round. It would be fun to share this with her new family.

The line for the merry-go-round was a little bit longer. There were a lot of young children at the fair that day. That was the reason for the long line. Grams waited with them in the line, because this was one ride she could go on. While waiting in the line, Piper was valiantly trying to force Prue into some sort of conversation. Other than mono syllabic answers, the oldest Halliwell sister was remaining stubbornly quiet.

Paige liked to watch people while she waited for things. She saw and old couple walking hand in hand. It was so sweet; she hoped to have something like that one day. Then she saw a boy of about 8, picking his nose. Paige nearly laughed out loud. It was hard to believe the things people did when they thought no one was looking. Then she saw a young girl walking between what looked to be her mother and father. When she saw that, Paige felt a twinge of sadness. She would never again have that.

The line moved up a bit, and Paige caught sight of a man sitting on a bench. What struck her first about him was how dirty he looked. It looked like he hadn't bathed in ages. He had a large black beard, flecked with gray. His clothes were nothing more than rags. He looked like he was homeless or something. Paige could swear he was looking at her. His light blue eyes looked so tired, and so sad.

She looked to her family, who were still totally obvious. Then she looked back at the man. It was obvious he was staring at her now. It was really starting to creep her out. He was looking at her with a very strange expression on his face. It was like he was in shock, but there was something more than that. It was something like a longing.

The strange man was scaring her a little now. "Mrs. Halliwell – I mean Grams", Paige said, tapping her grandmother on the shoulder, "Do you see that man, over there." Paige pointed him out to her. He still hadn't moved from the bench he was sitting on. Grams moved slightly out of the line to get a better look at him.

When she could see him clearly, she gasped. All of the colour drained from her face. It looked like she had seen a ghost. She completely left the line then. She walked over to the man. He looked as surprised to see her as she did to see him. The girls worried that all this shock was bad for her heart. However, despite being a bit shaky, Grams seemed perfectly fine. "Sam?" she whispered, looking straight at the man.

Paige gasped when she heard here grandmother say this. After all of this wondering about how she could find his father, it seemed strange that she would stumble across him like this. Her sisters looked a little unnerved as well. They knew who Sam was. Paige was a little disgusted that this strange looking man could be the father she had longed to meet. The man nodded, confirming Paige's worst fears. She had romanticized her idea of her father a little, she had to admit. Still, this was a disappointment.

Grams sat on the bench. The merry-go-round was all but forgotten. "Oh Sam, what happened to you?" Grams asked, shaking her head. That was something we always wanted to know. How could someone disappear without a trace for eleven years?

I looked at the man who was my father. He was so pitiful. It was hard to believe that this was the man who had taken part in giving her life. Sam was staring at Paige to. He couldn't take his eyes off her. "Paige?" he asked finally. She nodded, not wanting to speak to him. He didn't deserve that honour. Paige had taken a seat on the other side of Sam. Her sisters were standing around her awkwardly. No one, not even Paige herself, had any idea what to say.

"Dad", Paige said coldly. Everyone could hear the sarcasm dripping from that simple word. Sparks were about to fly, that fact was palpable. " I think we should leave them alone", Grams said, getting up quickly. Paige's sisters immediately followed suit. She wished they wouldn't. They seemed to be eager to get away from the awkwardness. Paige normally didn't mind being alone, but being alone with Sam was making her a little uncomfortable.

There was an awkward silence between them, which seemed to last years instead of mere seconds. Then Sam said, " Paige, I'm really sorry, I should really explain." Great, an explanation. It was what she had always wanted to hear from either of her biological parents, and he looked honest enough. It was in the eyes, Paige could always tell a persons true intentions from their eyes. And yet, she found that whatever the explanation may be, she didn't want to hear it.

"Save it", she said. She didn't mean for it to sound as bitter as it did, but that was just the way it came out. She probably had some unresolved issues or something. "I had a father. He was a firefighter; a nice man. I don't need another one", Paige said vehemently. She didn't really want this man in her life, other than to tell her what she wanted to know. Then she wanted him to leave, leave and never return.

Sam looked a little hurt, and for that, Paige felt a little ashamed. She didn't want to hurt him. However, it was important he understood that she wasn't looked for a father, especially from someone like him. "I understand Paige", he said finally, "I'm sure both of your adoptive parents were marvelous people. Your mother and I made sure of that. I still want to be here for you in some way, and answer your questions."

Paige simply nodded at this. She suddenly found her throat too constricted to speak. Even thinking of her parents was very painful. She looked back towards the merry-go-round. Neither Grams nor her sisters were anywhere to be seen. She wished they were there. This was getting much too hard. "I just…I want to know why you abandoned me", Paige said, her voice breaking slightly, "all my life I've wanted to know why."

Sam shifted uncomfortably on the bench. This seemed to be as hard a question for him to answer, as for her to ask. There was a somewhat accusatory tone in her voice. She couldn't help it. That was just the way things came out. "We wanted you to have more", he said finally. That answer wasn't good enough. More than what? Paige wasn't satisfied.

"And…" she prompted. She wanted the whole story. No lies, or withheld information would be accepted. She didn't care how horrible it was, she had to know. This was her past, and she had the right to know how it had happened. No detail would be too painful or too insignificant.

Was Paige mistaken…or did Sam look a little ashamed? There was a definite red tinge in his cheeks, and his eyes were downcast. Suddenly, the roles felt reversed, and Paige felt like the adult, while Sam seemed like the child. Paige hated this. "When your mother and I first…got together…she was still with Victor", he said softly.

Paige understood now, at least somewhat. It was an affair, at least, that's how it started out. Surprisingly, Paige didn't mind that much. Her sisters would be the ones who cared more than she did. In essence, her father had caused their mother and father to split up. Instead of upset, Paige felt more angry. That was no reason to give up a baby. There just had to be more.

As if he had read her mind, Sam continued in his story. "Penny, your grandmother, well it's enough to say that she disapproved", Sam said sadly. "I told Patty not to listen, but she was always very attached to her mother." What he was saying sounded absurd, and yet it made some sense. It wasn't the nicest reason. She had always imagined that she had been given up to avoid serious danger. Never the less, the reason was all too common.

There were a million things Paige wanted to say, but she couldn't think of a way to say them. Her feelings were all jumbled up. For the first time in days, she wished her parents were there to make everything all right. It was strange, but this was the first time she had longed for them. It was still hard to accept that never again would they be there. Now that she had finally accepted it, she began to cry.

"Paigey, don't cry, please don't cry", Sam whispered. He gave her a hug, but Paige didn't return it. He was trying to replace her father, she could tell. He wasn't her father, not really, and he could never even hope to replace the man who had raised her. "I know I can't be your father, not the way you want", he said, as if reading her mind, "but I still want to be there for you. "

Those words seemed to snap Paige out of her daze. She found that she didn't want Sam to be there for her. She had always expected to feel an immediate affection the moment she met one of her biological parents. Instead, for this sad and dirty man before her, she felt nothing but pity, and perhaps a little regret. He had abandoned her mere days after she was born, so she could never see him as a parent. Yet, somewhere deep down, she longed for what could have been.

She decided that she had to be the stronger one. She had to tell him how she felt, or she would forever go on wondering what it could have been like. It didn't matter that she was the child, and he was the adult. "Sam", she said, as diplomatically as she could manage, "I'm sorry, but I don't think you should be in my life."

She got up, and she didn't look up. She didn't even bother waiting for an answer. She walked to the other side of the merry-go-round where she saw her real family waiting. Sam didn't say anything else, nor did he try and follow her. Paige figured that he understood. All her desire to find him had quickly evaporated. Her life was pretty good, despite all of it's recent tragedies. Sam just didn't fit into that.

Maybe one day, she'd want to talk to him. He had told her he lived on the property adjoining the fair. She could always find him, if she so chose. She knew she wouldn't choose to for a while. Her parent's death was still raw, painful for her to even think about. Yet she couldn't wish for anything more. She had another family, one that she belonged with, one that would help her through things.

She rejoined her family, who were staring at her strangely. They waited for her to say something, to recount what had happened. They also looked a little worried. Paige figured she might look a little pale or something. Meeting her biological father for the first time had left her a little shaken up. "Paige, is something wrong? Are you okay?" Prue asked. Prue seemed to be the most worried of all.

"I'll be fine", Paige said. This time when she said those words, she actually meant them. She would be fine.


	14. Betrayal in the First Degree

**Chapter 13: Betrayal in the First Degree**

**A/n: There's so much school work; I'm going crazy! This year is so much harder than last year. Lately, I've been forcing myself to make time to write this .I've decided to write this from Piper's POV…cause I intended to do more of that. I've finally figured out how I'm going to end this, and no one will see it coming! Enjoy the chapter. **

Paige didn't talk to us much during the few days that followed her meeting with Sam. I was under the impression that she was figuring some things out. I couldn't blame her, it was a lot to wrap one's head around. After she came to join us at the park, after she had talked to Sam, she wouldn't tell us what was said. I questioned her, but she just ignored me. When I asked Grams about it, she said we shouldn't bother Paige. She said that in this case, Paige had to figure things out for herself.

Paige's strange mood after meeting her biological father lasted about three days in total. Phoebe told me that Paige wasn't even herself at school, surrounded by friends. During that time, I did a little thinking myself. I still wasn't sure exactly what had happened between my mother and Sam, since no one could ever be bothered to tell me anything, but I had figured out most of it for myself. I vaguely remembered Sam from my childhood.

There had been an affair, I was almost sure of it. For some reason, I didn't really mind. My father wasn't much of a presence in my life, and he hadn't been for a while. He didn't really deserve someone like my mother. I had very few memories of her, and yet I believed with all my heart that it was so. I did have a lot of memories of when my father wasn't there, but should have been; school plays, birthdays, Christmases, and father's days. Prue was right about him, I realized after a lot of reflection. He was a non-person, not even worth our thoughts.

Paige was back to normal, at least as far as I can tell, three days after her encounter. One day, she came down to breakfast, and she was just…fine. It was as simple as that. She was laughing and talking with Phoebe about something that had happened at school. "So…does this mean you're okay now?" I remembered asking her. Despite my own self reflection during that time, I had been very worried.

"I'm okay now", she said which such sincerity that I sighed in relief. In the short time that Paige had lived with us, I had become very fond of her.

Now, my mind was free to worry about other things. I sure had other things to worry about. This was something I had worried about since Phoebe started the eighth grade. This was the day that eighth graders from her school came to visit my high school. You might not think it's that bad, that I might not be seeing her at all, but that's where you'd be wrong.

Most of the time, I'm invisible at school. I tend to fade into the background. I don't mind much. In fact, in some cases, I like it better that way. Very recently, Prue had been bugging me to become more involved. More to make Prue leave me alone than anything else, I signed up half heartedly for the school representatives. I thought they did very little, and met very rarely.

No, that couldn't be the case. One of the only things they do, all year, is spend the day with the eighth graders from various middle schools. I had dreaded going to school before. To be honest, I hated the place. It was my daily torture; the place where I went to be more of a nobody than I was at home. That day, I dreaded it more than ever. I would be spending the entire day with Phoebe.

There was nothing wrong with Phoebe, per say. She just had the habit of getting into trouble, and those she was with tended to get into trouble as well. Phoebe lived for thrills and danger. Grams once said she was a rebel without a cause, and I had to agree. She did things that were bad, just because they were bad, and to see if she could. The worst was when she was caught shoplifting a year ago, and the cops brought her home. Grams was furious.

Even some of the people my age had heard of Phoebe's reputation. She was a bad girl if there ever was one.

There was only one thing that prevented me from staying in my room and pretending I was sick. A boy named Billy Wilson had asked me to a school dance. I didn't really like him, and he wasn't that cute or anything, but I was still ecstatic. That he even noticed me was amazing. I was usually the one nobody remembered. Nice but forgettable, interesting, but average; that was me.

I was so busy thinking about Billy Wilson, that I was almost late. "Piper, are you coming?" Phoebe asked from the door. A day where she was on time, and I was late, that would be interesting.

"Coming", I said distractedly. I didn't even finish my breakfast. I just walked out the door, and began the walk to school. Phoebe didn't talk to me much as we walked to my school, the school next year we would both attend. We didn't have much to say to each other. By the time we arrived at school fifteen minutes later, my stomach was in knots. I was terrified that Phoebe would do something embarrassing.

"You need to wait with the other people from your school on the back field, near the bleachers", I told her before I entered the building. She merely shrugged, and began walking. So far, nothing horrible had happened.

I walked to the room where the school representatives met. There were two good things about this day. One was that as a representative, I got to miss a whole day of classes. The other was that Billy Wilson was also a representative. I'd get a chance to talk to him. This was like a dream come true.

When I got to the room, no one was there. I checked the clock again. I was later than I thought. I had to hurry if I didn't want to be kicked out of the representatives. In haste, I ran to the back field there was a huge crowd already gathered there. I didn't see Phoebe, and I didn't see Billy either. Oh well, I just had to do the work I had signed up to do until I saw them. I spotted the teacher in charge, Mrs. Miller, and I was very relieved. She wouldn't yell at me, as long as she didn't notice me.

The eighth graders from the four middle schools that came here were scattered in along the grass in the usual cliques. We were supposed to give groups tours, but as usual, no one had anything organized. I decided to just go for it, and pick a group. I picked the most non threatening group that wasn't from Phoebe's school. By non threatening, I mean they weren't that much bigger than me, and they didn't look like they were going to shoot me.

The group I chose to approach was five girls. They looked totally lost. Not just the normal 'I'm in a new place, I don't know where I'm going sense' either. They looked like they hadn't had an original thought in their lives. I held back my judgement though. It wasn't fair to judge a book by their cover after all. "Hi, I'm Piper. I'm going to be giving you a tour", I said brightly.

They just looked at me blankly. "So if you'll just follow me", I continued. To their credit, they weren't completely brain dead, since they did follow me. Now, I've been attending the same school for nearly two years, so I pretty much no my way around. I didn't, however, know what would interest a bunch of eighth graders.

First I brought them to the cafeteria. That was a general enough place. "This is the cafeteria. You eat there", I said. Already, they were beginning to loose interest in me. They were whispering to each other and giggling. I hated it when people giggled, and I didn't know what was so funny. I decided they'd had enough of the cafeteria. It was time to move on.

I couldn't really decide where to take them next. Then I just figured, I'd take them places I like to go. There was no place in the school I liked going better than the library. It's something about the smell of books, new or old that I like. Of course, I also liked to read. In my opinion, the library was just a very pleasant place to be. They followed me their, but when we got there, they looked at me sceptically.

"You brought us to the library?" one of the girls asked. I nodded. I didn't see what was wrong with that. "Don't you know any cool places, like where hot guys hang out?" the same girl asked. She seemed to be the leader. I honestly didn't know such places. I wasn't the coolest person.

The same girl kept talking. She didn't wait for me to answer. "You're a nerd, aren't you?" she asked. Then her friends started to laugh. I felt myself go red, although I didn't turn around so those girls could see my face. They just stood there, laughing and laughing. They were just like everyone else.

Since I had gotten to high school, I had either been mocked, or ignored. Now, I was assured that next years freshmen would do the same. They kept laughing and laughing, even as I kept on moving with the tour. I had to bit my lip to stop from crying. It hurt to be laughed at, to be considered different over and over. It wasn't just these girls. I had been laughed at my whole life. I wasn't like everyone else.

'Not everyone's like this', I reminded myself over and over again. But…weren't they? I hadn't ever met anyone who wasn't. Even each of my sisters, in a way, were like these girls. I was the only one who was different. No, Billy wasn't like this. He talked to me. He was the one who noticed me. Billy could never be like this.

"We're going back outside now", I told the girls through gritted teeth. I hadn't given them much of a tour, but I didn't care. I still couldn't bear to look at them. Luckily, they finally got the point, and left me alone. So far, today wasn't going so well, and I hadn't even seen Phoebe. I searched for her everywhere, but I didn't see her. I saw some of the people I recognized from her school. She was not among them. Had she run off again to do who knows what (possibly something criminal)? I hoped not.

Finally, I caught sight of the people Phoebe usually hung out with. Most of them were kind of scary. My little sister tended to gravitate towards thuggish and rebellious friends. I was more than a little frightened of them. There was this one girl, Ramona, who seemed to think Phoebe was the essence of cool. So wherever Phoebe was, Ramona was, although Ramona was more of a wanna-be than anything. She should know where Phoebe was. She always made it her business to know.

"Hey Ramona", I said in an attempt at casual ness.

"Hi Piper! I'm so glad to see you here! How are you! What are you doing!" she said. That girl was so perky, that I could swear everything she said ended with an exclamation mark, even the questions. I didn't know how Phoebe could put up with her.

"I'm looking for Phoebe", I said quickly. It wouldn't be a good idea to get into a conversation with her. When Ramona go started, it was difficult to get her to stop.

"Oh", said Ramona. She sounded a little disappointed. I guess she didn't like not having a captive audience. "She said these tours were lame, so she went off with some guy."

This was so like Phoebe. She always did things like this, and it was always me who had to bail her out. Well, now I had to go and find her. If she was with some guy from my school, it was impossible to tell what could happen. Some guys at my school were real jerks, who only used girls to get what they wanted. Most guys in fact. I was glad Billy wasn't one of them.

I looked everywhere for her. There were thousands of eighth graders on the field. Even more of them than I had first estimated. None of them were Phoebe. I tried to put myself in her shoes, and imagine where she might go. That was kind of difficult. Phoebe was much cooler than me, so I had never been in a similar situation. I just started going places that I don't usually go. She wasn't anywhere. Finally, I decided to check by the bleachers. That was a place some guys took girls to make out. I didn't want to think about Phoebe doing that, but I had to admit, it was a likely possibility.

I got next to the bleachers, and I saw Phoebe all right. She was making out with some guy. It was disgusting. Whatever negative things I had previously thought about my sister, I didn't peg her for the type to stick her tongue down some random guys' throats. I guess in that aspect, I was mistaken. "Phoebe?" I asked, loudly enough for her to stop making out with the guy. When she raised her head to look at me, I nearly passed out.

The guy she was making out with was Billy. Phoebe was bad, but I never thought that she would do this to me. The first time a guy's ever even noticed me, and she stole him from me. When we got home, she was dead. Maybe even before that. I had never been this angry before. "Billy?", I said, my voice cracking a little. I could barely speak anymore, I was so upset. All I wanted to do was run home, go under my covers, and cry. After I killed my sister of course.

"Piper, look, I'm sorry…it didn't mean anything…I'd still like to get to know you and…" Billy began. I didn't want to hear it. All I could think of was that he made out with my sister. I wanted to call my sister a thousand names, that I didn't.

"Shut up!" I yelled. I knew I was yelling loudly enough for everyone to hear me. I wanted Phoebe and Billy to be ridiculed. I wanted them to feel as bad I did at that very moment. "You're sick! Anyone who would do that is sick! That's my sister!" I couldn't stop myself by that point.

Little did I know that one of the people who were watching was this extremely annoying girl that always hung around Phoebe's friend Todd. I forget her name, but she always seemed very jealous of the time Phoebe and Todd spent together. She was also not really the same type of person as they were. She didn't abide by the rules either, but at the same time, she was always very shallow and empty headed. I remembered Phoebe telling me that that girl was always trying to find a way to make her look bad.

Now she had the perfect way to make Phoebe look bad. This story would circulate for weeks. That would be the end of Phoebe's popularity. It was an underhanded thing to do, but so was stealing my soon to be boyfriend. I just wanted Phoebe to suffer as much as I was suffering at that very moment. It wasn't as if I was doing anything. I was just letting this girl do what she wanted.

"Hey everybody! Guess what this whore Phoebe was doing!" she yelled almost as loud as I had. In the past, I would have objected to someone calling my sister that. But after what Phoebe had done to me, I would be inclined to agree. Like normal eighth graders, they all crowded around Phoebe. Even people from other school's were looking, which I found kind of weird. Usually, Phoebe enjoyed being the center of attention. Today, she looked uncomfortable at all the staring eyes.

"She's not Phoebe anymore, she's Freebie!" she said as if it was the most hysterical thing in the world. Slowly, the people who knew my sister began to laugh. Then, everyone else started. It was a sea of hysterical laughter. Then came the chanting. It was scattered and slow at first.

Then, after a while, everyone was chanting "Freebie, Freebie!" Phoebe had turned bright red. For a split second I felt guilty. Where were the teachers? Why was no one doing anything? Billy had disappeared. I wondered why I ever liked him. The guilt evaporated quickly though. My sister deserved everything she got. I had told her about Billy. She could have any guy she wanted, and now she was taking this from me.

Phoebe had started to cry. It was quietly at first. She didn't want anyone to know what she was doing, since she had perpetuated the image of being tough for so long. Soon, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She was crying openly. That really annoying girl had noticed. "Freebie's crying!" she yelled. She was enjoying herself. The sick thing was, I was enjoying myself too.

I was hurting because she had betrayed me. I wanted to hurt her as much as she hurt me. Was that so wrong? Did that make me a horrible person? I honestly didn't know the answer.


	15. Eavesdropping

**Chapter 14: Eavesdropping**

**A/N: I know I've been saying that I'm almost done this for forever, but it's really the truth. I just haven't had time to write it in a very very very long time. Now I'm going to try, although, I kind of forgot where I was going with this. Starting new things is so fun…difficult to continue after a while. Enjoy. **

Piper and Phoebe fought often, but never before had it been anything serious. When they said they weren't speaking to each other, they didn't really mean it, and made up the next day. Now, they really hadn't spoken to each other in over a week. Prue and Paige did their best to mediate between the two of them, but neither of them were being much help. Piper didn't want to tell anyone what Phoebe had done, in case they took her side. For her part, Phoebe was ashamed, but she would never admit it.

Even Paige wasn't sure exactly what had happened. Rumours flew through the air quickly at her school, but they were just that; rumours. She had heard so many versions of what had happened, that she had no idea what the truth was. Though Paige didn't know any of her new sisters yet, she knew that the worst of the rumours could in no way be true. She was still getting used to having sisters. There was so much drama! She found herself longing for the days with her parents, when she was an only child. She liked her new home, and her new family, but it would never be the same.

Prue had tried to talk to Piper on numerous occasions. Out of her sisters, Piper was the one she was closest to. There was a time when they told each other everything. Prue had never been a fan of some of the things Phoebe had done. However, she couldn't fathom what it could've been to make Piper so angry. Piper hardly ever showed her anger, and now it couldn't be more obvious.

No one really understood how deeply Piper had been hurt. Least of all was Phoebe. They all just thought that Phoebe had done something to make Piper angry. It was more than that, but Piper would never let them know it. She did her best to hide it from all of them. It was hard enough hiding the truth about what happened. In vowing never to speak to Phoebe again, she had ended up not speaking to the rest of her family either. She felt worst about not speaking to Paige. She knew that her new baby sister hadn't done anything wrong, and that she just wanted to belong with them.

She just hated Phoebe so much. Phoebe was always taking things from her. When they were younger, it had been trivial things, like toys or clothes. Now, Phoebe had taken her one chance at happiness. The rational part of her brain told her that Billy was a jerk, and had never liked her. Piper was far to used to Phoebe getting everything that she really wanted. She thought things would be better during the rare years when they wouldn't attend the same school. Even when Piper did manage to make a place for herself, Phoebe came along, and everyone forgot that looser that tried to be their friend.

It was becoming a fact of life that Piper was no longer speaking to Phoebe. Grams thought that she should just stay out of it. It was something the girls had to work out for themselves. Paige was afraid that they would never learn to get along. If they never forgave each other, they would never speak to each other again. That wasn't the way it was supposed to be with sisters. Paige had been the closest to Phoebe, and she knew that Phoebe was feeling bad about whatever she had done. If only she could just apologize to Piper, everything could go back to normal. Phoebe still maintained that it wasn't that big of a deal.

Things were very tense in the Halliwell household, with no sign of improving. Dinner time, when they were all forced together as a family, was the worst. Piper and Phoebe only had conversations through messengers. Grams was still trying valiantly to pretend that everything was all right. Needless to say, she was failing miserably. That particular night, Prue wanted everything to be…well not perfect, but better than usual. Andy was coming over.

"Paige, could you kindly ask Phoebe to pass the salt?" Piper said, in a falsely cheery voice. It was like this every night, immediately after they sat down. At least Grams had earlier said that she was going out with some friends, so they wouldn't have to deal with her. They knew she didn't want to deal with them.

Before Paige could say anything, Phoebe said, " Prue, would you kindly tell Piper that if she can't wait until I'm finished with the salt, she can stop being lazy and get it herself?" Phoebe spoke in the same falsely cheery voice.

Prue didn't have a chance to answer either. Piper said, "Prue, you can tell Phoebe that I can hear her. And, furthermore, I may be lazy, but I'm not a slut." Phoebe looked outraged at this, and was most definitely going to come up with a snappy comeback. Prue stood up suddenly. It was time to put a stop to this.

Normally, Prue tried to stay out of the dirty politics that were sisterhood. Piper and Phoebe could beat each other up for all she cared. She was tired of all this name calling, and this downright nastiness. Her evening with Andy was going to be perfect, and she wouldn't let this pointless bickering ruin it. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. She would've been surprised if the whole neighbourhood didn't hear that.

That made them all shut up pretty quickly. "Listen", she said, attempting to keep her voice steady, "Andy's coming over tonight. Because of our hectic schedules, and many prior commitments, we haven't been able to see as much of each other as we would like. This is a date. We'll be in my room, and I don't want you disturbing us…I don't even want you on the second floor. Do I make myself clear?"

There was an awkward sort of silence. Then Paige actually said, "Yes ma'am." Then, miraculously, they all cleared their plates, and left the table in silence. Prue sat down on the chair, and smiled with triumph. Andy would arrive in less than an hour, and she had succeeded in neutralizing the threat that her sisters posed to this evenings success. She knew that would obey her…if they knew what was good for them.

They stayed in the foyer, while Prue was in her room getting ready. They didn't make a sound. She was really more intimidating than she thought. Prue put on her makeup, fixed her hair, and got changed into something a little nicer. The whole time, Piper and Phoebe weren't yelling at each other. This must be very awkward for Paige, but Prue didn't think about that much.

Prue was right; it was very awkward for Paige. As they sat on the couches, they didn't say a word. Piper and Phoebe sat as far from each other as they could possibly get, with their arms crossed. They were scowling at each other, and making Paige feel all together very uncomfortable. She longed to say something, anything, to either of them. Their mood was doing nothing but make her upset. She had previously been happy with her living arrangements, but now she wasn't so sure.

Maybe she should have just gone to an orphanage, rather than be stuck with them. Things had been so hard with her parents gone, and she hadn't even had time to think about any of it. Now, all of this silence was forcing her to deal with her own thoughts. She didn't realize how painful those thoughts could be. She was truly alone in the world. Her sisters were too occupied with their own feuding to be there. It was as she was suddenly feeling the weight of everything that had happened to her.

She felt stinging in the corners of her eyes. She didn't mean to cry, and she didn't want her sisters to see it. She wasn't a baby…she was just…angry…yes, that was it.

"Paige, what's wrong?" Phoebe said.

At the same moment, Piper said, "Are you okay, Paige?"

So this was all that could make them both talk. Paige quickly looked away. She wiped the tears off her cheek. "It's nothing", she said quickly. Neither Phoebe nor Piper believed that it was nothing, and they were both willing to help her. At that moment, however, the doorbell rang.

Phoebe ran up and opened it. Standing in the doorway was a tall handsome 17 year old that they only vaguely recalled seeing. "Hi, you must be Prue's boyfriend", Phoebe said. Piper recognized that tone. It was the way Phoebe talked when she like a guy. Piper rolled her eyes; once a boyfriend thief, always a boyfriend thief.

"I'm Andy. Andy Trudeau. You must be Prue's sisters. She's told me so much about you", he said, giving all three of them a charming smile. He held out his hand, and Phoebe paused a moment before shaking it. "Where's Prue?" he asked.

Then he looked to the stairs, Prue having just appeared. He was speechless. "You look amazing", he told her. A dark shade of crimson appeared on her pale cheeks. Prue was wearing a black dress, and her black hair hung loosely around her face. It looked like she had really taken pains with her appearance. Piper couldn't figure out how she had done that so quickly. Andy was still standing dumbly in the doorway, and Phoebe was staring at him.

"Aren't you guys going out?" Paige asked in confusion from the couch.

Prue silenced her youngest sister's question with a look. "Andy and I have some talking to do. We're going to my room, and you aren't going to disturb us." With that, Andy followed Prue up the stairs. Piper, Phoebe and Paige were left on the main level, stunned and confused. Prue was up to something, they were sure of it. There must be a reason she was inviting Andy over while Grams was out.

Piper had a feeling she knew what Prue might be doing. She had done it before, although Piper was sure that she was the only one who knew it. If what she suspected was true, she didn't even want to be in the house. Prue sure was risking it, having Paige of all people, home. "Hey, Piper, you wanna try and see what Prue and Andy are doing in her room?" Phoebe asked mischievously. Piper stared at her little sister, stunned. Paige was shocked too.

This was the first time that Phoebe had spoken to Piper since she had been caught making out with Billy. Paige held her breath, both scared and excited to see what Piper would do next. Phoebe hadn't quite realized who she was talking to until it was too late. "Piper…listen…I didn't mean to…you can just…hit me if that's what you want", Phoebe said quickly. She closed her eyes, as if she really expected Piper to strike her.

Piper studied her sister's face carefully. Phoebe was a bad girl, she always had been, but she didn't understand how what she did affected other people. Piper knew that she always had the best of intentions. For a split second, Piper had considered hitting Phoebe, but she could never do that. "It's okay Phoebe, I forgive you", Piper said. It was Phoebe's turn to be surprised. Piper was a bit surprised when she said that.

Paige was somewhat relieved. Maybe this meant that the days of tension were over. "Do you really mean that?" Paige asked. Piper really had to think that over. Phoebe looked at her older sister expectantly. Phoebe really wanted to be forgiven.

"I'm not sure if I forgive you completely, Phoebe", Piper said sincerely, " but I will talk to you again."

"Well, I guess I have no choice but to accept that", Phoebe said. Then the strangest thing happened. Piper and Phoebe began to laugh. Paige wasn't sure she understood what was supposed to be so funny. She didn't think she could ever get used to this sister telepathy thing they seemed to have.

"What's so funny?" Paige asked, feeling very out of the loop. This only made them laugh harder, and pull her in a big group hug.

"I hate to break up this nice moment", Phoebe said, smiling deviously, "but I still would like to spy on Prue."

Piper still had her doubts about this, since she had a feeling she knew what Prue and Andy were doing. However, because of her kind of reconciliation with Phoebe, she didn't say anything. When they started going up the stairs, she relaxed a little. No matter what Prue was doing, she had amazing hearing. In an old house like theirs, the stairs tended to creek. Prue was bound to yell at them before Piper and Phoebe saw or heard anything to scar their innocent minds. Well, she was sure that Phoebe had never been innocent, but there was still Paige, who was only 11, and had better be innocent.

Sure enough, they had only gotten halfway up the stairs when Prue began to yell at them. "I told you to leave me alone!" she yelled. They didn't take a step further. Instead, they ran all the way down the stairs. Prue was not one to cross when she was angry. Besides, the door was probably locked. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Piper was surprised to see that Phoebe was still smiling.

"I know a better way to listen to them", Phoebe said, grinning widely. She led them to the kitchen, and knelt down under the phone. There was a heating duct that probably led to upstairs. Piper had never noticed it before. Phoebe opened the vent, and they could hear Prue and Andy as clearly as if they had been standing right next to them.

"How long have you known about this?" Piper asked.

"A while. Long enough to hear some things", Phoebe said evasively.

Piper just shrugged that off, and listened. It sounded like Prue and Andy weren't doing what she thought they were doing, which was a plus. "I don't think now's the time Prue", Andy was saying. Great, they were fighting. They really shouldn't be listening to this. With all eavesdropping though, although you always knew it was wrong, that didn't mean you could stop listening.

"Later then? I told you, I don't want to talk anymore. You know how I feel" Prue said. She was raising her voice a little. It was now obvious that they were arguing. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige still couldn't figure out what they were talking about.

"You really should tell your grandmother", Andy was saying. His voice had become much calmer. "We really need to stop meeting like this, especially after the last time. Instead of doing what we usually do, let's just face this."

"What if I don't want to face it!" Prue snapped back. "Why do I have to be the one who faces it?"

Piper felt very uncomfortable listening now. Phoebe and Paige still sat riveted, apparently undisturbed. She didn't want to listen anymore, because she had a feeling she knew what it was about. This was something that they shouldn't find out like this. Suddenly, things she had been seeing lately began to make sense. Before Phoebe and Paige could stop her, she reached over, and closed the vent. The room went silent almost at once. Phoebe and Paige protested almost instantly.

"What did you do that for?" Phoebe said shapely.

"It was just getting to the good part!" Paige whined.

Piper shushed them impatiently. She was still in shock by what she had heard. She hoped desperately that she was jumping to conclusions. However, if it was true, it made sense of a few things that had happened in the last few days. This was big, and it would be life changing. Prue was right not to tell Grams.

The question was, now that Piper felt that she knew about it, what would she do? Confronting Prue would have to be the first step. She had to be sure that it wasn't her over active imagination running away with her. She hoped it was, but she was almost sure it wasn't.

"What is it Piper?" Phoebe asked. She could read Piper like a book, and she knew that something was wrong.

"Nothing", Piper replied distractedly. However, just as when Paige had answered nothing earlier, it was a lie. This was the farthest thing from nothing, and Piper knew it.

This was Prue's problem, Piper knew. Now that she knew about it, she felt responsible for keeping the secret. She would keep the secret for her older sister, if only Prue would talk to her. She wanted to know what Prue was going to do now. Judging by the conversation she had just heard, Prue herself didn't know what she was going to do.

She checked the clock on the wall of the kitchen. Grams would be home soon. That meant that Andy would be leaving. Would Prue take Andy's advice and talk to their grandmother? Piper thought that that would be okay for eventually. For right now, Prue needed her sister. Piper would talk to her, after Grams and their younger sisters were out of ear shot. Piper wanted to believe that they would work through it together.

Phoebe and Paige were whispering fervidly to each other. Piper knew that they were talking about what significance she might have seen in what they had overheard. She heard noises at the front door. Andy was leaving, and soon Grams would be home. Piper already felt overwhelmed. She almost wished she hadn't heard what she had. Eavesdropping is wrong, but now that she had heard it, she had to do something.

If what she suspected was true, Prue was in big trouble, and Piper didn't know what she could do to help her.

**TBC…**

**A/N2: Yes, this was supposed to be somewhat mysterious. Maybe some people will be able to figure out what Prue was talking about. It'll be discussed more in depth in the next chapter. Even the people I've told things to will be surprised. Sorry again for how long this took. I'll try really really hard to write this more often and update sooner. Reviews, especially long ones, motivate me (hint, hint) **


	16. Too Young

**Chapter 15: Too Young**

**A/N: I wrote this on vacation, so I hope it's good. I also wrote it in several parts in the wrong order, so I hope it makes sense. There were a lot of things I wanted to happen, in this chapter particularly, which is why it's longer than I intended. Some people guessed right about some things, but not about how things will turn out. This chapter was getting too long, so I ended it before I inteded to. Some of this storyline shall go in the next chapter instead. I hope you like it, it makes sense, and stuff like that. The more you review, the more I update. **

It wasn't like Piper Halliwell to hold a grudge. Normally, she was the most forgiving person anyone had ever met. No matter what people did, she found a way to forgive them. When it came to her sister Phoebe, it was somewhat of a different story. What her sister had done was unforgivable. Still, it was hard for her to hold a grudge. The most difficult was not talking to Phoebe, which she promised she would do. That's why school, which she normally hated, had become somewhat of a relief. That was the only place she would get away from Phoebe.

It wasn't as if school was a good thing. She was still either mocked mercilessly, or ignored completly. She didn't know which of the two were worse. At least at school, she had no time to concentrate on her ridiculous feud with Phoebe. Grams told her it was ridiculous, and she agreed, but she still wouldn't stop. Piper was stubborn that way. Stubborness was one of the more negative characteristics that all Halliwells seemed to have in common. It was reaching the end of the semester, and teachers were pilling on tests and projects one after the other.

This was the time of year where her already fragile grades tended to crumble. It aws as if all teachers were consipiring against her. With three tests, two quizes, and four projects due in one week, Piper had no idea how she would cope. Strangely, no one else seemed to be noticing the strain. This was something Piper would have to deal with, and although unpleasant, it was welcome. It distracted her from the bitter feud at home.

Paige and Prue were trying to keep out of it. Prue for one seemed to have her own problems. She had been distant as of late. Well, she was usually distant, but this was different. Piper and Prue used to be very close. They spent time together. Now her older sister wasn't even willing to talk to her. Prue spent most of her time in her room. Sometimes Andy was there, although Piper thought she was the only one who knew that. Prue spent a lot of time with Andy as of late. Something was definately going on there.

Piper barely had any time to think of anything, especially the mystery that recently surrounded her older sister. There was much too much work to do; much to much other things to think about. She ended up not having to think about it much. She got her first clue completely by accident, although at the time, she hadn't known it was a clue.

She had entered the school bathrooms. It wasn't to use them, they were disgusting. It was one of the only place she could escape that horrible gang of girls who seemed to exist to make her life miserable. Life as a looser got lonely, but if the only other option was to be with people like that, she prefered to be alone. This was one of the only places she could get that. It was a strange life she led. Sometimes, she wanted nothing more than to be seen. Other times, she wanted to be invisible once again.

At first glance, the bathroom appeared to be empty. Then again, Piper had never been an especially observant person. As she studied her hopeless reflection, she heard strange sounds coming from the end stall. It sounded like someone being sick. She wanted to leave. It was really none of her business. Then again, maybe she should stay. What if the person needed help or something? Then she noticed the shoes of the person in the stall. Those black laced up boots looked strangely familiar. Then it hit her. Those shoes belonged to Prue.

This really baffled her. Prue hadn't seemed sick this morning? Had she? And if she was sick, what on earth was she doing at school?

Now Piper really couldn't leave. It was a combination of curiosity, and concern for her sister. Prue didn't leave the stall for what seemed like hours. Piper was almost tempted to ask if Prue was all right. Finally, Prue left the stall. She didn't seem totally steady on her feet. She went to the sink, and washed her face. It was as if she didn't even see her younger sister there. "Prue, are you all right?" Piper asked timidely.

Prue glanced at her, seemingly startled to see her there. She wiped her mouth on a paper towel, and shrugged. She seemed to be contemplating her younger sister. It looked like she really wanted to tell Piper something, but she was afraid of doing so. Finally, she said, "I have the flu. I'll be fine." Piper knew that there had to be more. Prue hadn't told her whatever she had been considering. Before Piper could ask again, Prue had run away. Once again, it was too late.

Piper immediately jumped to a thousand different conclusions. Her mind went to the worst case scenarios right away. Prue was dying, or something equally as horrible. She always thought of the worst possible thing right away. It was one of the drawbacks of an overactive imagination. She always had to calm down and remind herself that no matter what it was, it could never be as bad as she thought it was. Maybe it really was just as simple as the flu. She always had to think of the most complicated explination for the simplest things.

She put that encounter with Prue out of her mind for the time being. She didn't have any reason, at the time, to believe that it was anything more than she said it was. She did her work, she avoided certain people, and tried desperately to be seen by others. You know, a normal day. When she got home, Prue was already there. Her sister looked perfectly healthy, not sick at all. That wasn't a characteristic of the flu, but maybe, just maybe, Prue had recovered quickly.

Piper had managed to put the whole incident out of her mind for over a day. She had convinced herself that it meant nothing, and she was sticking to that. Prue seemed perfectly fine. Still a little distant, but she had never seen her throw up again or anything. It was probably just a twenty four hour bug. At least...that was what she told herself. She would have remained content with that explination, if she had never seen more. It was always by accident, but Piper had a knack for discovering things that she wasn't meant to know.

She wasn't into spying on people. That was never how these discoveries happened. Phoebe was always the one who could never learn to mind her own business. It wasn't that Piper wasn't interested in what went on in other peoples' lives. She just never did anything wrong, because she was afraid of getting caught. Worst of all would be getting caught by Prue. Her older sister didn't look it, but Prue could be vicious. If she even suspected any of her sisters of touching her stuff, or doing the most forbiden thing of entering her room...well, let's just say that her tantrums could be heard for miles. Prue had been secretive lately. That wasn't like her. Prue was private, that was sure, but never before had she kept secrets. Piper was worried.

Despite this, Piper never actually tried to find anything out. Her most important discovery happened by accident. It was a morning like any other. All four of the Halliwell sisters were late for school. Like always, Piper was the only one who seemed to care. It wasn't as if anyone would notice that she was late. Nevertheless, she liked to be punctual. The only thing that kept her from leaving was that she desperately needed to use the washroom. Five females in a house, and only one washroom caused somewhat of a problem. Piper never spent as long in the washroom as her sisters, but she was always the last to get a chance.

She rushed to the door, genuinely needing to go, only to find it locked. She figured Phoebe was in there, as usual. At only 13, Phoebe spent at least 2 hours a day before school in the washroom, applying makeup, and doing god knows what else to make herself beautiful. She also took showers in the morning, which took enough time. They really had to convince Grams to have a second washroom built. They certainly had the room. Piper pounded on the locked door and shouted, " Phoebe, you had better get out of there, or you'll be in big trouble!" There was no answer from within.

It could also be Paige in the washroom. Her youngest sister had recently taken to imitating some of Phoebe's habits. This was something Piper dissaproved of. Paige had plenty of other sisters to imitate. Not that Piper didn't love Phoebe. It was just that one wild child of a little sister was enough for anyone. She pounded on the door again. She thought she heard something sort of like crying, but it stopped as soon as it started. She figured she must be hearing things.

"Paige?!" she shouted. Someone had better answer her soon. She was going to miss school at this rate. She was going to kick the door this time, but it swung open. It wasn't Paige that came out. It was Prue. With a start, Piper realized that she probably hadn't seen Prue close up in days. Her older sister had been mostly keeping to her room. Prue was pale, and she had dark circles under her eyes. It looked like she hadn't slept in days. Most shocking of all was that Prue had been crying. She had obviously tried to hide it, but with no success. Her eyes were still misted, and they were red and puffy.

"Prue?" Piper asked gently. She had never seen her older sister like this. It wasn't that she had never seen Prue cry. Prue didn't cry very often, but Piper hadn't seen it. It was that usually, there was an apparent reason for Prue's crying. It was always like a physical injury, or the death of a pet, or everytime their father was mentioned. Everytime Piper had seen her older sister cry in the past, it had been for an obvious reason, and Piper could find a way to comfort her. This time, Piper had no idea why Prue was so upset, and this unnerved her.

Prue didn't even look at her younger sister. "What wrong?" Piper asked. It was already too late. Prue had walked out the door.

While Piper was worried about her sister, she also needed to use the washroom, and get to school. She did what she needed to do, the whole time thinking to Prue. She finally got to brush her teeth, which was getting increasingly difficult in their house. With a new sister, and even before, the Halliwell Manor had always been a bustle of activity. She put her tooth brush away, and something caught her eye. She didn't know what it was, but for some reason, she glanced over to the garbage.

It took her a moment to realize what she was seeing. She moved closer, just to be sure. This had to be some kind of mistake. This couldn't be happening. In the garbage can was a pregnancy test. It had a single blue line. The box was in the garbage as well. She only needed to consult it briefly to confirm her worst fears. The blue line meant that it was positive. Prue's crying suddenly made sense. There was only one person the test could belong to; Prue.

Prue was pregnant.

A thousand panicked thoughts rushed through Piper's head at once. Who was the father? What was Prue going to do? What would Grams say? Piper wasn't the one having the baby, but she sure was panicking. This was big. This was bad. Prue was only 17, not even out of highschool, and with no means of supporting herself. After Grams, Prue was the one who took care of everything. She had always taken care of Piper and Phoebe, and now Paige, in the way a mother should. For this, Piper had always been greatful, and felt a little guilty. Now Prue was the one who needed taking care of.

First she needed to confront Prue. That was it. Then, they could think of a plan together. Prue hated accepting help from anyone, especially her sisters, but this time, Piper wouldn't take no for an answer. She had already forgotten about school. But then, school would be a perfect time for her to talk to her sister without the rest of the family knowing. If only she could get Prue away from her extremely popular crowd.

Piper suddenly felt the urge to stop. She was getting ahead of herself. That test in the garbage can didn't have to mean anything. It was just...a mistake. It could be a false positive. Or maybe it magically got there, and it didn't belong to anyone in the family. She was making up flimsy excuses, and she knew it. Piper just couldn't deal with something like that at the moment.

Suddenly, she was confronted by a somewhat mean thought. This wasn't her problem. It was her who had screwed up and slept with a guy unprotected. She had never even had a real conversation with a guy, thanks to her status as a looser. Let Prue deal with her own mistake. Piper had always been jealous of Prue's apparently effortless popularity. Prue was the one that everyone looked up to, while Piper was a looser. She almost wanted her sister to be a bitch, like the popular people that gave her a hard time. Prue was just so nice, but so was Piper. It wasn't fair that everyone was Prue's friend, and no one noticed Piper.

This wouldn't be the way to get her back. It wasn't fair. Hadn't Prue always been there when Piper needed it? Now Prue needed her, and she was ready to just turn her back. Piper wanted to go back to being in denial. It was so nice that way. She could pretend that she hadn't found anything out today, but that would be a lie. Even if she tried to take the test as meaningless, it fit in well with what she had seen before. She just needed to find a way to confront Prue about it. Her older sister hadn't exactly been approachable these days.

Prue didn't have the flu like she claimed to. That was a place to start, although Piper had no way to prove it.

She knew that Prue had had sex with Andy. Prue herself had told her so. They did it often enough, so she was almost sure that he was the father.

When she thought about it, she had a mountain of evidence that Prue was indeed pregnant. She just didn't want to face it. She did know enough now to confront her. Piper just wasn't ready. She had never been good with confrontations. She headed out the door and prepared to walk to school. Piper was the last one in the house, which was never a good sign. She was so late now, that she would probably miss first period entirely. It didn't matter. She had made up her mind. Before she did anything, she just wanted one more piece of evidence.

What other evidence could she possibly get? She could pretty much be certain, as much as she didn't want to be. The only other thing that could happen would be that Prue could tell her. Maybe that was what she wanted. Maybe she wanted to give Prue a chance to handle it for herself. This was the sort of thing that Prue might not need help in. Piper was having the biggest moral dilema of her life, so she couldn't even imagine how horrible Prue must be feeling.

Despite her jumbled thoughts, she managed to get to school only 45 minutes late. She wouldn't miss all of her first class after all. That first class was math, so she really wanted to miss it. She would just have to wait to talk to Prue at lunch. She could usually find her sisters. Yes, that was what she would do. Now that she had a plan, she felt a little calmer. Yet, this was a plan that she was afraid to follow up on.

She never did talk to Prue. She didn't even talk to her after she had overheard that conversation with her and Andy. Even after Piper was talking to Phoebe again, she said nothing. She didn't tell anything to anyone. There wasn't really any real reasoning behind it. It was just that she didn't know what to do. Piper was a really helpful person, and yet...this time, she didn't know how to help. Maybe she didn't even try because she didn't know how to fix it. Piper just left Prue to deal with it by herself. Little did Piper know, was that Prue wasn't dealing with it.

Prue had decided what to do. Nothing anyone said, not even Andy, could change her mind. It was her baby, and it was really her choice to make. She was even learning to live with her choice. She was much farther along than anybody except her and her doctor even knew about. It was lucky she wasn't showing yet, although she knew it would start soon. She had been worried about when Grams would start to notice. That's why Grams had to know soon. She had already told Andy. That was easier than she thought, although he didn't support her decision. At least he accepted that it wasn't his decision to make.

She was acutally surprised that no one had figured it out yet. She thought Piper might know. Piper was much smarter than most people gave her credit for. Still, Piper hadn't said anything, and Prue didn't think she ever would. Grams should have been able to figure something out. Prue almost wished that she would. She had snuck out twice already to see the doctor. Each time she had made up excuses. She had had to do it alone, and each time, she had to keep everything to herself.

She almost wished that Grams would go with her. Grams would know what to do, and what to say. When the doctor asked Prue a question, or made a comment, Prue had always been at a loss for words. This was really something that you shouldn't do by yourself. Nevertheless, Prue was going to do it, even if it meant doing it alone. There was also the little problem of the fact that if she told Grams, her grandmother would kill her. She wondered if her grandmother would support her decision, if she knew. She was going to have the baby...but then she was going to put it up for adoption. She wanted this baby to have a good life...a life that Prue couldn't provide, and she didn't want Grams to have to.

Her most recent appointement was the hardest. It was first of all hard to get away from Piper. Piper was always trying to ask her what was wrong, or asking her what she could do to help. It was almost as if...she knew. She also had to cut cheerleading practice. That had never happened before. And today was right before a big game. The coach had been mad at her, but she didn't care. She couldn't schedual the appointment for any other time. Besides, her originally small cheerleading uniform was beggining to get a little tight. None of her friends, or so called friends, suspected anything. They just thought she was being normal amazing Prue, too cool for any of them.

She waited in the waiting room nervously. She had been there twice before, but it didn't make her any less nervous. The women in the room were quite a bit older than her. They were grown up, they had planned this. Worst of all, was that they all had men with them. They were talking to the women gently, as if comforting them. Prue didn't have any of that, and she never would. It was painfully obvious that she didn't belong there. It wasn't that she wanted to belong there. This whole thing just made her experience all the more isolating.

The doctor was experiencing a bit of delay. So far, Prue's appointement was supposed to start 15 minutes before. The receptionist said that the delay would be another 45 minutes. Prue was getting a little fidgety. She was also nervous. She had told her Grams she'd be home at a certain time. If she wasn't home then...well...she didn't even want to think about it. She had already read all the magazines in the room several times. Now all she did was stare at the clock. It was infuriating. People went in, and people went out. The whole time, Prue was just sitting there.

All of this time had given her a chance to worry even more than usual. She stareted feeling a little sick. That was normal, of course. It was almost to the point where she didn't remember a time where she wasn't nauseous. One benefit was that Prue was great at hiding it. So far, besides that encounter with Piper, no one had seen a thing. She looked around the room, as if willing it to be her turn. The room seemed to spin strangely. This wasn't the normal nausea she experienced every day. This was something else.

Maybe she should just go to the washroom. She had time, after all. She went up to the reception desk and weakly asked for the washroom key. It was handed to her without question. Prue wasn't even worried about being late, or getting caught, or anything like that. At the moment, she just felt like she was dying. That was not at all a good sign. Maybe she had to vomit once again. She ran to the washroom, glad that no one else was in there.

She was all alone, and yet she couldn't will herself to vomit. It more diziness than nausea. Just when she thought she'd pass out and die in this washroom where no one would ever find her, a new feeling accompanied the diziness. She felt a sharp stabbing pain right in her abdomen. She doubled over in unbearable pain. This was horrible, she couldn't stand it anymore. The pain was more than she had ever had to take. She couldn't see, she couldn't think. Prue could barely even breath. She did her best to get out the door and to the doctor. Any movement at all proved difficult. She could only hope someone would come in and find her. She felt like she was dying. Actually, it was worse. She wished she would die, just so all this pain could stop.

She must have passed out, because the next thing she knew, she was in an ambulance. When she opened her eyes, Prue was seized with fear. She hated hospitals, but that wasn't all. Hospitals meant that something was seriously wrong. She wasn't so much worried for herself; she was worried for her baby. She couldn't see how an unborn child could survive all that. Time and time again, she wished she wasn't pregnant. Now, it appeared something threatened her baby, and she might get her wish after all. But she didn't want this, not really. It was nothing more than a cruel twist of fate. And just showed that you had to be careful what you wished for.

Two men were in the ambulance with her, barking orders, saying things she barely understood. "White female, late teens..." they were saying. She only caught a few words here and there. Prue was still pretty out of it. The men's faces swam in and out of focuss. She had never felt more alone. She wanted someone to be there, to hold her hand. For the first time in a while, she wished her mother could still be there. Prue hadn't had a mother since she was 8 years old, and she sometimes felt lost in situations where having a mother seemed to be a requirement.

"My baby", she muttered, "what happened to my baby?" That's when everything went black.

Prue didn't regain conciousness until several hours later. The first thing she saw was a clean white ceiling. She was lying in a bed, and there were a lot of beeping machines around her. It took her a moment or two to realize what was happening. She was in a hospital. Great. Prue half expected Grams or her sisters to be in the room, demanding to know what had happened. Much to her surprise, she was all alone. After about a moment, a nurse holding a clipboard walked into the room. "I see that you're awake", the nurse said, pleasantly enough. She checked the machines next to Prue's bedside, and made some notes on a clipboard. "Do you mind telling me your name?"

So they didn't even know who she was. That explained why her family wasn't there. "Prue Halliwell", she answered weakly. She was still trying to make sense of what had happened.

"Nice to meet you Prue", the nurse said cheerily. This nurse was really starting to get on Prue's nerves. Her inscesant cheerfulness was so annoying. "So tell me, is there anyone you'd like us to call? And just for our records, we need to know how old you are." Prue just wanted to strangle that nurse for sounding so happy all the time. Unfortunately, she felt to weak to do so.

"I'm seventeen, and i don't want you to call anyone", Prue said forcefully. It was the last thing she needed, her Grams coming in here, and fussing over her. Her sisters would probably come too. After they got over worrying, they'd probably be shocked. Who could blame them? Once the word got out at their school, everyone would be shocked. Her reputation, the one she had worked so hard for so long to build, would be ruined. Maybe she should just run away. Yes, that was it. Then again, she didn't really have anywhere to go. She couldnt' seem to think straight anymore.

"But dear, I must insist..." began the nurse, only someone impatiently. Prue didn't want to hear it. She didn't want her family here.

"I don't want you telling anyone anything!" Prue said insitantly. When she got like this, it was hard not to listen to her. She still felt groggy and weak, but she wasn't going to have this nurse pushing her around. "How about you call whoever you want AFTER you tell me what happened", Prue said insistantly. If there was one thing she hated, it was being kept in the dark. Now it was the nurse who looked a little uncomfortable, hesitant even. This hesitancy made Prue fear the worst, but she couldn't go on not knowing. "Tell me", Prue said. This was a demand much more than a request.

"Maybe I should get a doctor...to explain...after all, it really isn't my place to", the nurse rambled. Prue ended that train of thought with a look. The nurse swallowed hard. She seemed kind of nervous, like she had never had to tell anyone anything before. "Well, okay, the thing is", the nurse began again. Then she stopped. She seemed to be having trouble putting two words together. "You see..."

Prue couldn't take it any longer. " Just tell me. I promise I can take it", Prue said. She was getting desperate to know now. The nurse seemed to realize this.

She said, "Your baby is...dead."

**TBC...**

**A/N2: Yes, I had to end it there. All things will be explained. Just later, cause that was getting long. I even did research, so it'll turn out okay. I'll try to update more often, but I've been thinking about this story more than writing it. That is a good thing...it means things are planned. Once again, please review. **


	17. Behind Closed Doors

**Chapter 16: Behind Closed Doors**

**A/N: Yes, I know this took a while. But whatever, I've been busy. So much stuff to do in school, then this new semester is more work than I ever thought. This is getting hard to write, cause I hardly ever feel like it anymore. Guess what? Tommorow's my birthday! So wanted to update now! But whatever. Enjoy this chapter, even though I'm not sure how good it is. **

Prue never did have a clear idea of how she had gotten home that day. She knew that her grandmother had come to get her. Grams didn't seem angry, like Prue expected her to be. Instead, she looked a little disappointed. She didn't really care what Grams said anymore. All she could think about was that her baby had died. It was tearing her up inside, although she knew it shouldn't. She had never wanted this baby…it had barely even existed. She knew that this wasn't logical, but it didn't matter. It was like a part of her had died as well.

The doctor had eventually come to explain things to her. Grams was there, holding her hand. Prue was so upset, that she barely heard a word. She caught words here and there, like trauma, and eptopic pregnancy. None of it really resonated with her. Her baby was dead, and that's all that mattered. She didn't think she could ever be happy again. Grams did eventually bring her home, she knew that much. The moment she got home, she ran to her room and shut the door. Prue didn't come out, other than eat and go to the bathroom, since then.

That was a week earlier, and still nothing had changed. Prue was as depressed as ever, and Grams didn't know what to do to help her. In fact, all of the Halliwell sisters kept to their rooms for the past week. They all had things they were dealing with, and Grams was at a lost. For the first time, their grandmother wished her grandchildren had parents in their lives. A mother or a father could deal with this much better than she could ever dream of. She just couldn't understand how things had gotten so bad.

Prue was actually getting tired of her room. She just couldn't summon up the energy to leave it. Everything seemed so hopeless, and she couldn't be convinced otherwise. She was torn between wanting company, and wanting to be alone. Her sister Piper had tried coming to talk to her, but Prue pushed her away. Andy had also tried to call, but she had pretended to be busy. Now people only talked to her to ask her if she was alright. She always said yes, but she didn't think she'd ever be okay again.

Piper was in her room too. She hadn't been there nearly as long, and she was there for totally different reasons. She still went to school, although Prue had been skipping for a week already. Piper was in her room because she didn't think anyone would notice. Lately, she had been feeling more and more invisible. It wasn't just at school…school she could deal with. People were either making fun of her, or pretending she didn't exist. That was usual. What she wasn't used to was being treated the exact same way at home.

At first, Piper didn't mind. Prue had lost a baby, she needed them. However, everyone else seemed so wrapped up in their problems that they didn't even look up when she walked in the room. She tried to start conversations, not just with Prue, but with everyone. They just pretended that she didn't exist. Piper could be imagining it, but she felt that her family didn't even look at her. It was probably just her imagination, but as a result, she became quieter and more withdrawn the next couple of days. Of course, no one had noticed the difference.

She had been sitting in her room for what seemed like hours. She just lay on her bed, and stared up at the ceiling. She thought many times of doing something, but every one of her ideas seemed pointless. She could always do her homework, but it wouldn't really make a difference. There was always books to read, and TV to watch, but none of those options seemed very appealing. Instead, she just sat around, doing nothing, and waiting for something to happen.

It wasn't that she was depressed exactly. She just wanted someone to see her for once. She wanted something in her life to matter. The days all seemed to blend together in one big blur. Nothing ever seemed to change, and she was tired of it. Maybe she would sleep, even though it was much too early. If she slept, she wouldn't have to think. Thinking was the worst. She just wanted to sleep, so she wouldn't have to think anymore…so she wouldn't have to think about how invisible she was.

Phoebe was in her room too. She wouldn't be staying there for long. At the foot of her bed sat a big duffle bag. It was stuffed with most of her clothes, and some books and knickknacks, along with her old stuffed animals. To an outsider, it looked like Phoebe might be going on a nice innocent little trip. That wasn't the case. She was leaving. Phoebe was tired of her grandmother, she was tired of her sisters, and she was running away.

This wasn't a spur of the moment decision. Phoebe was a quite unhappy thirteen ear old girl, and she had thought about this before. What had happened recently had been the thing to push her over the edge. It was right after Prue had come home from the hospital. She felt sorry for her sister, of course, but that didn't mean _her _life was over. She had gone to the mall, if only to escape from the tense atmosphere in her house. Unfortunately, she hadn't brought any money.

She was with a bunch of her friends, and they were, as Grams called it "A bad crowd". They didn't have money either, but there were a lot of things that they wanted. One of them, a particularly tough girl named Leslie decided that the best way to do so was to shoplift. At first Phoebe wasn't going to go for it. She knew it was totally stupid. After all, it was a crime, and they could get caught. Then she saw the most gorgeous pair of shoes. She just had to have them.

She looked around the store. It was quite old. There was no security, as far as she could tell. So, she just took the shoes, and ran out of the door. The moment she got outside, she was met by a tall angry looking uniformed police officer. Uh Oh, Phoebe thought. Now she really was in trouble. That thought was further proven when the police officer brought her in the mall, and sat her down in the security office. After a long lecture on the evils of stealing, he had called her grandmother.

Phoebe could tell that Grams was angry by the way she had dragged her home. In fact, during the whole 20 minute drive home, all Grams did was yell at her. She yelled about what a disappointment Phoebe was, and how angry her mother would be. After the first five minutes, Phoebe just tuned her out. She already knew what a horrible person she was, she didn't need her grandmother reminding her.

When she got home, Piper and Paige were waiting for her. They looked at each other for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, Paige burst into hysterical laughter. Phoebe felt herself turning bright read. She almost cried, but she restrained themselves. Didn't any of them understand how bad this was? She had broken the law. She found herself wondering what her mother would say if she were here.

Her mother probably would be disappointed, even more so then Grams was. She would probably wonder where she had gone wrong. Just considering it made Phoebe sick to her stomach. She had never wanted to disappoint her mother. She had always missed having parents, more than Prue and Piper ever did, or even Paige. Perhaps it was because she didn't remember having parents

She ran up to her room before Grams could yell at her some more. Phoebe hated being laughed at, and she hated being lectured. That's the only way people seemed to be talking to her these days. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to leave…but…where would she go?

Paige was in her room too. She didn't really want to be. Her house had just become so silent lately. So Paige figured, if you can't beat them, join them. She thought life would be so great, now that she had sisters. When she was little, she always dreamed of having sisters. She thought they'd be like her best friends. Now it was so lonely in big Halliwell Manor. Maybe something in her room would be able to distract her.

She had lived in the house for about five weeks now. She still wasn't used to how great her room was. She had pink walls, a beautiful four poster bed, and antique dressers. It was out of a dream. She rummaged through her doors, until she found what she was looking for. It was a picture from earlier in the year. It was of her and her parents. It was on one of their family outings. They looked so happy, and they would never have that again. She stuffed the picture in the drawer. She couldn't stand to look at it.

Everything had happened so quickly, that she had hardly had any time to grieve. Now that the house was so quiet and lonely, she couldn't stop thinking about the way things used to be. She used to have parents, and they used to be happy. She missed that now, more than ever. It was Sunday, and if her parents had still been alive, they would be doing something together as a family. They would be talk, and laughter. Paige would be pretending to hate it, but secretly, would be loving it.

This was her life now, she tried to force herself to accept that. She didn't have parents, but she had sisters. Well, lately, it didn't feel like she had sisters anymore. She had a grandmother. Her grandmother was nice and all, but it would never replace her parents. She didn't even know why she tried to let that happen. Maybe, if she pretended that things had always been this way, then it wouldn't hurt as much. That's what she had been trying to do, in pretending that she belonged there. It was no use. She would always be the girl whose parents died.

All was eerily silent in the upstairs hallway of Halliwell Manor. It was a hallway of locked doors. The grandmother who once held the family together had decided to go out for a bit. She couldn't stand all of the silence. Her family was falling apart, and she didn't know what to do about it. It had become a hallway of miserable girls behind locked doors.

The sisters were living very separate lives at the moment, each hardly aware of what was going on with the other. Prue for one didn't really care. Her life was over, as far as she was concerned. She was supposed to be graduating that year, but she couldn't see how that would happen now. She hadn't been going to school lately, and even when she did go to school, she hadn't been able to concentrate for months. The logical part of her told her that she shouldn't be upset. But she knew that was stupid. A baby had died, and that would never be okay.

Maybe she would go see Phoebe. Prue and Phoebe had never really gotten along, but she was always good to cheer people up. At least, she had been good at cheering people up. Piper too thought that Phoebe would be good to see. They hadn't spoken in weeks, and Piper wasn't really mad at her anymore. She didn't want Phoebe to think that Piper was mad. She should know that her older sister couldn't hold a grudge. She decided just to go to Phoebe's room and see what she was up to.

Paige had also decided to see Phoebe. She really needed someone to talk to since she was feeling so down lately. Out of all of her new sisters, Phoebe was the one she got along with the best. They just had so much in common. Maybe they could talk, and then Paige would find a way to be happy again. Not knowing why she was being so quiet, Paige snuck out of her room. Things had been so awkward in the house lately.

When Paige stepped into the hallway, she saw that Prue and Piper were there, standing not far from their own doors. For a moment, they just stood there staring at eac other. It was Paige who spoke first. "Prue, it's good to see you…are you okay?" she asked timidly. She had always been intimidated by the oldest of her sisters, and now was no exception.

Prue looked slightly offended by the question. "What do you think?" she said more snappishly than she had intended. "Of course I'm not okay!"

Paige didn't know what she said that was so offensive. She was only trying to help. "I'm here too!" Piper said angrily. Great, now two of her sisters were mad at her. "Besides, I'm here to talk to Phoebe, not you!" Piper added.

The three of them looked at each other. They were all there for the same reason, to talk to Phoebe. It was the first time they said anything meaningful to each other in a long time, and it was all because they wanted to talk to Phoebe. Prue as always took charge, and knocked at Phoebe's door. There was no answer.

"Maybe Phoebe isn't there?" Piper suggested. "Maybe she went somewhere."

Prue scoffed at the idea. They all knew that Phoebe hadn't gone anywhere since the little shoplifting incident. Grams had absolutely forbidden her to, and she said she hadn't felt much like it anyways. Prue knocked on the door again. Still there was no answer. She pushed on the door, and it swung open. The three of them gasped. The room was totally empty.

It wasn't just that Phoebe wasn't there. Paige looked in the closet, and saw that it was almost completely empty. The room was missing a lot of Phoebe's stuff. "She's gone", Paige said, stating the obvious. Then she saw that the window was open. It was large enough for Phoebe to crawl out, she was sure of that. She looked out of Phoebe's window, and saw a big sturdy looking drainpipe along the side of the house. "I think she climbed out the window", she said.

Her sisters met that statement with silence. A million scenarios were running through their heads, each more unlikely than the next. Then, Piper spotted a piece of neatly folded up paper on top of Phoebe's pillow. It had all their names on it. She held it up so her sisters could see it, and they all read it in silence.

_To Prue, Piper and Paige, _

_I've run away, and I'm not telling you where, so don't try and find my. I'm tired of being treated like a criminal. What's worse is that I really am a criminal. I'm a horrible person, and being around here just reminds me of it. I know I make you miserable, and me being gone will be the best for everyone. I don't belong in this family. It will be much better this way. Again, please don't look for me, though I can't imagine you caring that I'm gone. _

_Your sister, _

_Phoebe Halliwell_

They read the short letter through twice. It took a long time for the news to sink in. It was all surreal. Phoebe was gone, and unless they found her, she wasn't coming back. Grams didn't know about it yet. She would have to be told. When they told her, it would just break their hearts. Phoebe's absence had made her sisters forget about their own problems, at least for the moment.

All they could think about was that their sister was gone, and she wasn't coming back. She could be anywhere, and they had no idea where to look. Horrible things just seemed to keep happening to their family, over and over again, until they all wished it would just stop. One thing was certain. They would find her, and they would bring her home. Phoebe would realize how much she needed them, and they needed her.

They had no idea just how much Phoebe would need them. By running away, she had gotten herself into big trouble…

**TBC…**


	18. Without a Trace

**Chapter 17: Without a Trace**

**A/N: Finally got to write this, which is cool, cause have no time for anything. I've been planning this in the long boring hours of in class driving school, so it's well thought out. I hope it's cool. I know where this is going in more detail now. Finally have connected it to the end. I'm guessing it'll go up to chapter 25 ish. Enjoy!**

Phoebe was gone. This fact took a moment to sink in for all three sisters. Suddenly, their own problems seemed to melt away. The only thing that mattered was finding out where Phoebe was and bringing her home. But how would they do that? None of them had any idea where to start. They had become so wrapped up in themselves lately, that they really had no idea what was going on with Phoebe. Prue and Piper had taken to looking around Phoebe's room, for any indications about where she had gone.

"I think we should call Grams", Paige said quietly. Her older sisters ignored her. Prue picked a small leather bound address book up from Phoebe's bedside table. She flipped through a few pages until she found what she was looking for.

"Rick Gittridge", she read aloud. "Isn't that Phoebe's boyfriend?" she asked. Piper shrugged. She was still rummaging around Phoebe's drawers. It was hard keeping track of who Phoebe was dating these days. "Maybe she went somewhere with him", Prue suggested. Piper didn't seem to be listening. She was rummaging around Phoebe's things some more.

" I really think we should call Grams", Paige said anxiously around the corner. She was really worried about her sister. Although Phoebe was only 13, her running off with a guy seemed quite plausible.

Piper had finally found something. She held up a small plastic bag filled with white powder. "Drugs", Piper said somberly. This was just another in a series of blows that they had been dealt in the past little while. Phoebe was in more trouble than any of them had ever realized. They couldn't believe that they hadn't seen this. They couldn't believe that they had been so self centered, so stupid.

"I think we need to tell Grams", Paige said for the third time. This time they didn't argue. They seemed to have finally realized the seriousness of the situation. Although Grams was quite old, she worked part time as a receptionist. They needed to pay the bills somehow, and their father was of course no help. So, Grams had begun working to care for her now four granddaughters.

It was Prue who dialed Grams' number at work, and Prue who told her calmly that she was needed at home. They all agreed not to tell her what had happened over the phone. It would come as such a shock to her, and she had that heart condition. They didn't want to do anything that could jeopardize her health.

Grams arrived home much quicker than she usually did. That showed that somehow, she understood how serious the situation was. Prue, Piper and Paige were there to meet their grandmother as she came through the door. "Girls, what is it? Where's Phoebe", their Grams said quickly. She had noticed her second youngest granddaughter's absence right away.

They didn't know the best way to tell her. Prue went with being blunt, without really thinking it over. "Phoebe ran away", Prue said. Grams gaped…easing herself onto the couch. This worried her granddaughters for a moment.

"Grams, are you okay?" Paige asked worriedly. Grams nodded, taking a moment to catch her breath. Then she took charge, acting more like the person her granddaughters knew and loved.

"You girls sit tight, I'm going to call Phoebe's friends, and see where she might have gone", Grams said. She was trying to be strong, but her voice shook a little as she spoke. They all knew that it was bad that Phoebe had run away. However, she had gone of her own free will, so she wasn't in that much danger, right? Grams' behaviour was worrying them more than anything else.

"Grams is never going to find her", Prue stated, as soon as their grandmother left the room. Piper knew that her older sister had a point. If they didn't know the details of Phoebe's life at the moment, Grams had to be totally clueless. If Grams couldn't find her…could they? Piper didn't know how, but she knew they had to try.

"Do you think she really went somewhere with that Rick guy?" Piper asked Prue. Her older sister merely shrugged. Piper really hoped that wasn't the case. She remembered seeing Rick around, and he was really bad news. He got into a lot of fights, he did drugs, and he was all around a bad boy. Now it seemed that Phoebe was behaving in the exact same way. They had to find where that Rick guy lived, and interrogate him.

Prue seemed to like this idea when Piper told her. She seemed sure that was who Phoebe would have turned to. Paige wasn't as convinced. "Guys, I have an idea", she said. Piper and Prue ignored her and kept discussing how to find Rick. Now she knew how Phoebe must have felt. It was not that pleasant feeling invisible. "Guys!" she repeated, getting a little angry.

"What?!" Piper and Prue yelled in unison. They seemed a little angry themselves. They were all a little on edge since Phoebe was gone.

"I have an idea about where Phoebe might have gone", Paige said.

Prue and Piper looked at her expectantly. "Well, what is it?" Piper asked.

Paige hesitated before answering. She didn't have much to go on other than her own gut instinct. She only thought that Phoebe might think like she did. What she wanted more than anything in the world was her parents back. She would give anything to see either one of them again. Phoebe too didn't have parents. Unlike Paige, one of her parents were still alive, and Phoebe could go looking for one of them. Just weeks before, her father had made a reappearance, and Piper had found out where he would be staying.

"I think that she went looking for your father", she said softly, waiting for a reprisal. Surprisingly, none came. It seemed that for once her sisters were taking her seriously.

"We do have the address of the place where staying", Piper said slowly. That's when they all realized that Phoebe must have gone to find their father. She seemed to miss him more than either Prue or Piper ever did. The only problem was, they didn't know how Phoebe would get there. As far as they knew, their father was in Washington D.C. The only way Phoebe could get there was by plane or by bus.

"She must be taking the bus to see him", Prue said, "We have to stop her." Her sisters whole heartedly agreed. Now all they had to do was find her. Grams had already left, in search of someone she believed to be a friend of Phoebe's. They had no time to inform her. They had to get to the bus station and stop Phoebe before she left.

Phoebe sat on a bench and looked around the busy bus station nervously. She was afraid that someone she knew might spot her. She didn't want anyone messing with her plans. It was easy enough getting a bus ticket for a one way trip to Washington D.C. The ticket cost more than she expected, and it left in about two hours. Phoebe wasn't worried that she had used all her money. Once she got to her father's place, he would take care of her. He had to.

The longer she sat at that uncomfortable seat, the longer she had to think about her plan. The more she thought about it, the more flaws she could find in the plan. It was kind of risky going to her father's place unannounced. He wasn't expecting her, and there was the small possibility that he wouldn't want her. However, she didn't want to think of that. It was too painful.

Phoebe had to think that her father would accept to take care of her. She didn't really want to leave her sisters and her grandmother. Deep down, that had never been what she wanted. She had just wanted them to notice her. She had been feeling so invisible lately. Her true deepest desire was for her sisters and her grandmother to coe running into the bus depot, beginning her to come home. She had only ever wanted to loved and wanted.

She was getting very fidgety with the long wait for the bus. She felt that she needed to walk around. Everyone waiting in the chairs looked so happy and excited for their trips. Phoebe's insides were in a knot. She wandered around the crowded bus depot, not exactly sure where she was going. It was amazing how separate she felt, even in that place. Phoebe dragged her suitcase full of most of her belongings behind her, wondering what on earth she was going to do.

She checked the front pocket of her suitcase once again to make sure she had her ticket. Sure enough, there it was, with Washington D.C written on it, plus the departure time, about an hour late. She decided she might as well go to the washroom to kill some time. She could wash her face and fix her hair. That might make her feel a little calmer.

She walked into the ladies room still dragging her suitcase, and she was glad to see that no one else was there. She felt that she couldn't deal with people just yet. She splashed water over her face and felt somewhat refreshed. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment. She looked horrible, but for once in her life, she didn't care. Her father would love her no matter what, right? It was a sad fact, but she wasn't so sure he loved her at all.

The nagging voice in the back of her head once again came to life. For most of the time she could remember, her father had never been there for her. There was no reason why this should change all of a sudden. If he had abandoned her once, that she may have forgiven. It was because he made a habit of it that she was a little reluctant. The only reason she was going to him now was that she had no where else to go, and no one else to turn to.

She left the washroom, hardly noticing or caring that tears were coming down her cheeks. She couldn't believe that she had almost talked herself out of getting on that bus. It wasn't as if anyone cared enough to come and stop her. This just proved to her how unloved she actually was. Her mind was made up. If her father didn't want her, that really didn't matter to her. She just had to get away. If she had to do it without her father, so be it.

She looked at the electronic board announcing bus arrivals. She sure had wasted much time. Her bus was due to arrive in several minutes. If she was about to leave, it was now or never. She walked slowly and hesitantly where the buses waited. Phoebe tried her best to ignore the panicked thoughts that were running through her head. She stopped for a moment, almost wanting to turn back.

She heard someone frantically yelling her name, telling her to stop, to not go on the bus. She stopped, and turned to see who it was.

Prue drove Piper, Paige and herself to the bus station at breakneck speeds. Ever since his brief reappearance in their lives, they knew that their father was staying in Washington D.C. That's why they were headed to the bus station. There was no way Phoebe could afford a plane. They were hoping that this assumption was correct. In truth, their sister could be anywhere.

Paige had a feeling that this is where Phoebe would go. Her sisters had learned long ago to trust Paige's instincts. It made sense anyways. Phoebe was the only one who seemed to still want their father in her life. She still sent him birthday cards, and tried not to let the fact that she never received any upset her. They all decided to believe that Phoebe would be at the bus station. The alternative was too horrible.

They arrived at the bus station in about 10 minutes instead of the customary 20. Just as Prue parked the car, they ran out into the bus station. They ran to the old woman working at the reception desk. "Have you seen a young girl, about thirteen, traveling alone, probably wanting to go to Washington?" Prue asked the woman without preamble. The woman looked taken aback, but she answered the eldest Halliwell anyways.

"Why yes, there was a girl like that who bought a ticket. She said she was visiting her father. That bus is due to leave any moment now…I don't know where she's gotten to", the women said politely.

They thanked her, and began looking frantically around the station. The bus came soon, and they had to stop her .If Phoebe got on that bus, they didn't know how they'd ever catch up with her. Piper was half worried, and half angry with her sister. Their father had never been there for any of them, even now. Phoebe was stupid to think he'd welcome her with open arms into his home.

The station was becoming crowded now, it was getting harder to see the individual people. The sisters were becoming frantic. Then, when they were sure that the bus had come and Phoebe was gone, Paige spotted her. "Phoebe!" Paige called over the hustle and bustle of the crowd. "Phoebe, please don't get on the bus, you need to come home!" Prue and Piper joined in the shouting.

Phoebe stopped dead. Slowly, she turned around to look at them. She had seen him, but she didn't move. Her sisters were still shouting. They had found Phoebe now, but was Phoebe willing to come home?

**TBC…**

**A/N2: I was very tempted to introduce magic in this chapter, but I just couldn't do it. Hope you enjoyed it, and read and review for more! **


	19. Last and Only Chance

**Chapter 18: The Last and Only Chance**

**A/N: This chapter was very inspired, and I wrote most of it all at once. This chapter is dedicated to Hinata-hime, who was my inspiration, and leaves the nicest review. There are…5 more chapters I think. This story is sad…but living up to the title I guess. Enjoy chapter, still don't own stuffs. **

Phoebe took one last look at her sisters. "I'm sorry", she whispered. Then she turned and walked onto the bus. She didn't dare look back; for fear that she would lose her nerve. Phoebe got a seat near the aisle, and didn't look out the window. The bus slowly left the station, and she felt a thrill of foreboding. She was finally free from everything in her old life that she had hated. She had no idea what would happen when she got there, but that didn't matter anymore.

Piper wanted nothing more than to run after that bus. She was in disbelief when her sister walked on that bus. Never had she believed that her sister would actually go through with it. It was supposed to be a stunt, or a plea for attention. There were so many things she wanted to tell Phoebe, but it was too late. Her sister had gone. Phoebe really had been as unhappy as she had said.

Prue put a hand on Piper's shoulder. It seemed like her younger sister really was going to run after the bus. Perhaps she was feeling as shocked as Prue herself was. It was just so incomprehensible that things could get this far, with seemingly no warning. Had they really all been so self involved, that they hadn't noticed? Prue had a sinking suspicion that the answer was yes.

Paige was the only one of the three that was crying. She tried hard to stop. Paige didn't like anything that set her apart as the youngest, the baby. She really wished that Phoebe hadn't gone. Phoebe was always the one who was there for her, and now she wasn't. Everything she had ever loved was always taken away from her. It just wasn't fair. She couldn't believe Phoebe would still leave, even after they had proven to her that she was loved.

"We have to go home, get Grams, and catch up to Phoebe. We'll make her come home. We'll do whatever it takes", Prue said, stepping into her role as leader. No one argued with her.

They jumped into the waiting car, and got home so fast, that it was sure they were breaking the speed limit. Prue had already asked exactly where the bus would end out. If they kept up their illegal speeds, and didn't get caught, maybe they could get to Phoebe on time. Naturally, Grams would have to be with her. The sisters were at a loss for what to do. Whether or not they were willing to admit it, they needed their grandmother.

The tires screeched as Prue pulled into the driveway. They ran inside to see Grams talking on the phone, pacing. She dropped the phones the moment she saw three of her granddaughters. "Oh, my darlings, I was so worried. You haven't found Phoebe yet? Oh my goodness!" Grams said in a rush.

They quickly bought her up to speed. Although as shocked as they were about what Phoebe had done, Grams wasted no time getting into the car. This time Grams drove. The atmosphere in the car was very tense. None of them spoke. They didn't even dare breathe too loudly. Prue was feeling extremely guilty that she wasn't able to help her sister. Piper didn't like that she was thinking like that, but she liked that her life didn't seem so insignificant anymore. Paige wondered why horrible things kept happening to them.

It was going to be an excruciatingly long ride.

Phoebe was in for a long ride of her own. She was sitting beside an old lady who was crocheting something pink and fuzzy. Phoebe was wringing her hands nervously. All of her doubts were resurfacing at once. It was true that she was very unhappy with her life, but she wasn't sure that this was the way to deal with it. Hopefully things would turn out the way she wanted them to.

It was seeming less and less likely that this would be the case. The more she tried to imagine her dad letting her stay with him, the less likely that scenario seemed. The lady beside her seemed to notice her nerves. "First time away from home ,dear?" she said kindly. "Mine were quite nervous when they first left home. But they were all right. Now I'm on my way to see my first grandchild." The woman held up what she had been crocheting, and Phoebe saw that it was some sort of baby's bonnet.

"Yeah, I'm visiting my father, and…"

The woman didn't seem to need an answer. She just kept talking and talking. She had introduced herself as Rose, and was telling Phoebe all about her children. Now she had begun to explain in great detail the lives of her seven cats. Phoebe didn't really mind. It was nice to have the noise, and at least some form of company. It stopped her from thinking about herself, at least, for a little while.

The ride seemed to go on for days and days, although they hadn't yet reached their first stop. Phoebe couldn't help but go through all the possibilities, and what ifs in her head. It was enough to give her a pounding headache. She wished there was a way she could just stop thinking. Eventually, the first stop did come. Rose went out to stretch her legs, and Phoebe could now change places with her.

She rested her head against the cool glass of the window. It made her feel somewhat better. The stop wasn't long. When the bus began to move again, Phoebe looked out the window. The scenery of cows and trees got old fast. She closed her eyes, as if to block out all of her doubts and insecure feelings. She tried to forget where she was and what she was doing.

Her worries had most likely turned into real dreams at some point. When she woke up, it was several hours later, and they were nearly at their destination. She was almost glad she had fallen asleep. It gave her less time to worry. Rose didn't seem to mind. She was still creating the fuzzy pink baby's bonnet.

Her fear was beginning to turn into something almost like excitement. This could be the beginning of a new and wonderful life. She could be leaving all of her problems behind them. In what seemed like a very short time, the bus pulled into the station. The bus driver announced that they were now in Washington D.C. This was her chance. It was now or never.

She got off the bus, her adrenaline level rising. She went over her plans in her head again and again. She had decided that she wouldn't go straight to the address her father had provided. That was less likely to work. No, first she would call him. Then, he would welcome her with open arms, and they would be a family. Eventually she would call her sisters, but they wouldn't speak much. It just had to work like that, it just had to.

She quickly found a pay phone, and luckily she had a quarter. She took the crumpled paper with her dad's phone number on it out of her pocket. She double checked the number before dialing. She didn't want anything to go wrong. The phone rang so many times, that she was afraid no one would pick up.

Her sisters had also fallen asleep on their ride. They didn't think they'd be able to, but perhaps they were just so exhausted. They were there in no time, or so it seemed, since they had been sleeping. The moment they awoke, their worries appeared full measure. At first, they thought it would be easy for Phoebe to come home. However, now they were not so sure.

They pulled into the station, which looked very much the same as the one in San Fransisco. As they ran inside, they hoped beyond all hope that Phoebe was still there. She could be long gone for all they knew. They once again rushed to a person at a desk. In this case, Grams did the talking.

"You need to tell us where this girl went", Grams said, holding up a picture of Phoebe, "She's only 13, and we need to bring her home." None of this was a question. They saw a side of Grams they had never seen before. She was strong and commanding, unlike the quiet and nurturing woman they were used to.

As it turned out, they didn't have to look far for Phoebe. One thing Phoebe rarely left the house without was her black leather jacket. It made her very easy to spot. They found her, standing near the pay phones. They ran over to meet her, hoping they could convince her to come home.

Saying that Phoebe's conversation with her father hadn't gone well would be an understatement. She was ecstatic when the phone stopped ringing, but then a women's voice answered. She thought for a moment that she had the wrong number. "Hello", answered the voice of an unfamiliar woman.

"Um…could I speak with…Victor?" she asked uncertainly. She was almost hoping that she had the wrong number.

"One moment please", the woman said politely. So it was the right number. That made her wonder who the woman was. It was highly unlikely that she was just a friend. She waited for what seemed like forever for her father to answer the phone. She was anxious for him to explain who that women was.

"Victor Bennet speaking", said the unfortunately quite unfamiliar voice of her father. She pause a moment before answering.

"It's…your daughter. I've…left…Grams' house. I'm in Washington now. I…I can't…go back there. I need somewhere to stay", Phoebe began hesitantly. She was anxious to hear what her father would say to this.

"Piper?" he asked, apparently confused. Phoebe tried not to let her voice show how much this hurt her.

"Phoebe", she said a little too coldly.

"Of course", her father said, as if that was an honest mistake. "I'm afraid you can't stay with me right now. It was a very busy time for me at work. Even with my new partner's help, there's so much to do. You heard my new partner, Vivian, she answered the phone. Very nice woman, very nice."

It took all the restraint Phoebe possessed not to begin yelling at her father. Instead she said as calmly as she could, "You don't seem to understand, I really need somewhere to stay." The anger in her voice was kept to a bare minimum. It seemed like her father cared more about this new girlfriend then he cared about her. That shouldn't surprise her. He was never there for her, and he must have his own life. She didn't know what was first, the fact that he didn't care about her, or the fact that she seemed to care about this person more.

"It's just not a good time for this, Phoebe", her father said. She noticed that his previous politeness had vanished. She also noticed, with some satisfaction that he had gotten her name right. Well, after thirteen years of being her father, it was about time. Now she had nowhere to stay, and she didn't know what she was going to do.

Now she didn't try to control the anger in her voice. "Goodbye _Victor_", she said coldly. She hung up the phone. She didn't want to hear her father anymore, no matter what he had to say. Somehow, she made her way to a bench and sat down. That was her last and only hope. Never before had Phoebe felt so lost, alone, or insignificant.

There was no way she was going home now. It was too late. When she was there, she was miserable. This was supposed to fix everything, but she needed somewhere to stay. She had finally done it, she had finally left, and yet she was still equally miserable. No one was going to help her. She was really on her own now. She began to cry.

Grams, Prue, Piper and Paige ran over to where Phoebe was sitting. They were prepared to say anything to make her come home with them. Grams was even prepared to force her. When they saw that she was crying, they all stopped dead in their tracks. "Phoebe? Are you okay?" Paige asked nervously.

Phoebe looked at her, and wiped the tears from her eyes. She didn't say anything. "Oh my darling, my poor, poor darling", Grams said. She pulled Phoebe in a tight hug. Phoebe still didn't say anything. They hated their silence. They wanted her to argue, or something.

"Phoebe, you need to come home. We love you, and whatever the problem is, we want to help you. You can't stay here, especially by yourself. You're only thirteen, and you need your family", Prue said. It was apparent she had been rehearsing that for the whole car ride. Phoebe still didn't answer her. The silence was maddening to all of them. It was especially difficult for Piper, who used to be the closest with Phoebe.

"Please Phoebe, talk with us", Piper begged. Phoebe just looked at her sadly. Tears were coursing silently down her cheeks. It was enough to make Piper want to cry soon. It was true that all of their lives seemed to suck lately, but Phoebe needed to talk to her. Piper was sure she would be able to help. "Please Phoebe, I can help", Piper tried again.

"We're going to go home now", Grams said. She walked through the crowd of people towards the car. Phoebe followed her right away, which came as somewhat of a shock to her sisters. After how reluctant that she had been earlier. They expected her to resist. They had expected a large argument with lots of screaming, and strangers staring. Phoebe was so passive now, almost defeated. Something was seriously wrong.

Phoebe still hadn't said a word. It was as if she was just too tired to ever say anything again. When they got into the car, they all were silent. This was going to be another very long and boring ride. Grams was very happy. She kept talking about how her family was all together now, so everything was going to be alright. . She kept talking about how nothing else could possibly go wrong.

Piper couldn't help but see how much of a lie that statement was. They were not even close to being okay. Yes, Phoebe was with them, but she still wasn't talking. If she wasn't going to talk, they wouldn't be able to help her. Judging by the amount of things that had gone wrong lately, much more would go wrong in the future. When someone said something was going to go wrong, it undeniably would.

Piper now new a truth about life that no one ever told you, and that would always be true. Life sucks, and then you die.


	20. Talking to Strangers

**Chapter**** 19: ****Talking****to****Strangers**

**A/N: Only 4 reviews last chapter! ****This made me really upset. But then I figured, no reason to punish those who did review. I really wanted to get to 150, but w/e. Really depressed mood, being a pessimist and all, so reviews would make me feel better. Yes, I did add Leo, but no magic or love there. **

Grams was still pretending that everything was lovely, and she was failing miserably. The tension in Halliwell manor was almost palpable. Phoebe spent most of her time shut up in her room. She spoke only to her family when she needed something. Even then, she spoke normally in a monosyllabic way. Prue on the other hand was never home. She had once again thrown herself into extra curricular activities. If they wanted her, they knew she was always at cheerleading practice.

Paige was just a little lost. She didn't yet feel like she belonged to the Halliwell family, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to. She was still a Matthews, and she would always be a Matthews, that would never change. Besides, she was under the impression that her new sisters didn't like her much. They had grown up together, and they shared a bond she feared she's never get.

Piper was just trying to hold everyone together. That used to be Grams' job, but the family matriarch seemed to have suffered her own little mental breakdown. Her sisters were being somewhat of a handful. Piper didn't know how her grandmother had been able to handle it for so long. She tried standing all of her sisters, but the only one who could seem to stand her company.

It was a dull and dreary morning that seemed oddly familiar when only Paige and Piper were in the house. Paige was munching on toast, catching glances at herself in the mirror. She was trying out a new outfit that day. Sometimes she seemed so much like Phoebe, who had left for school several minutes earlier. Piper was now just picking at her cereal, dreading going to school, like always.

"Paige, hurry up, or you're going to be late", she said dully looking up from her now soggy cereal.

Her younger sister stuffed the rest of the toast in her mouth, and grabbed her backpack. "Bye Piper, I need to hurry and catch my bus", Paige called and she rushed out the door.

Of course, Piper didn't care that she herself would almost definitely be late. Now that they were going to school regularly again, she hated it more than ever. She would be finished the year in a little over two months, and she couldn't wait. It seemed as though her classes were worse than usual. Math was a particular torture. Since she was alone in the house, she had time to relax.

She did decide to leave, about ten minutes later. She wouldn't be that late for school. It wasn't as if anyone noticed, or even cared, when she wasn't there. Piper was still the invisible one, the one that no one cared about. She figured it was worse than even being hated. At least when you were hated, people knew your name.

Math was first period that day, which was particularly horrible. Her teacher was particularly evil in the morning. When she walked into the classroom, no one looked at her twice. Sometimes it was better that way. She took her normal place in the back of the room. The teacher was explaining something again, and Piper had no idea what she was talking about.

She really tried to listen, but it was like her teacher was speaking gibberish. She knew better than to say she didn't understand. That would just get her yelled at, and maybe even called stupid. As long as the teacher didn't call on her, that would be fine. Piper really tried to understand, since there was a test soon, and she was almost failing the course. She still didn't understand a thing.

Since Piper was the most unlucky person on earth, of course the teacher had to call on her. "How about…Piper…answer the next question", she said, as usual, checking her seating chart. Piper stared at the blackboard blankly. There wereto equations on the board, each with an x, and a y. At least that part looked vaguely familiar. However, she had no idea what she was supposed to do.

Just as she was about to say she didn't know, and announcement came over the loudspeaker. "Can Piper Halliwell please report to the guidance office immediately. Piper Halliwell."

"Oooo…what did you do?" some girl said. Predictably, the class began to laugh.

"You may go, but you must answer the question when you come back", the teacher said. Piper ran out of the classroom, her face still bright red and burning. She didn't plan on coming back, even if whatever this was didn't take long. She remembered to take her bag so she wouldn't have to.

On the seemingly long trek to the guidance office, she began to wonder why she had been sent there. In her almost two years at the school, she had never actually been inside the guidance office before. She began to imagine all the possible reason she had been sent down. That's when she began to worry. Piper didn't even know who her guidance councilor was.

By the time Piper got to the office, she was so nervous, that she was practically shaking. The lady sitting at the big desk in front looked at her and smiled. "Piper Halliwell?" she asked, "Mr. Wyatt is inside waiting for you", she said, without waiting for Piper's answer. Piper scowled at the woman. She didn't appreciate being spoken to as if she was four years old.

She walked into the office at the back, wondering what this Mr. Wyatt would be like. Her first impression as she walked in the door was that he was very handsome. He wasn't that old either, only about 28 or 29. "Why don't you sit down", he said smiling. He had dimples when he smiled.

Piper shook her head quickly. She shouldn't be thinking like this. She sat down in the comfortable chair Mr. Wyatt was gesturing to. She stared at him again, waiting for him to tell her why she was there. "Um…Mr. Wyatt…why am I here?" she asked, as politely as she could manage.

"Please, call me Leo", he said, smiling again. Piper nodded, once again staring at him. "I think you have some things you need to talk with me about", Leo said.

Piper looked at him, then down at her shoes. She thought about all the things he could be referring to. It could be about any of her sisters, about her father, about her mother, about her grandmother, or even her own unhappiness. It wasn't like she would talk about any of that with him, no matter how cute he was. It wasn't the thing one talked about with strangers.

"Let's try this another way. Tell me, how are things at home? At school? You need to talk to me about something, I can tell You can talk about anything you feel."

Piper hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she could instantly trust Leo. "I'm invisible", she said finally. She wasn't sure what made her say that, it just came out. Leo didn't say anything. He was letting Piper lead the conversation. "It's not just here either. It's at home too. My sisters' problems seem to rule everything, and it's like I'm not even there:, Piper said.

As abruptly as she had started, Piper had stopped talking. She hadn't meant to say even some of that. Leo considered her carefully. "Have you ever told them this?" Leo asked kindly. Piper was utterly taken aback. Leo hadn't said much, but he had a way to get her thinking. She never really did tell her sisters about this, or about anything for that matter. That would probably be because she didn't think they'd care.

"Maybe I'll do that", she told Leo. She then left his office, because she felt that the meeting was now over. As she left the office, she felt much better than she had before, although she had not fully realized how bad she had been feeling.

While this was happening to Piper, Phoebe was also in a class that she hated. This wasn't as unusual for her, because she hated all of her classes. That class happened to be geography, and as usual, Phoebe wasn't listening. She was looking out the window, trying to figure out how many seconds until she could leave this prison.

"Ms. Halliwell", said the sever voice of her teacher, snapping her out of her reverie, "You will either pay attention, or leave this classroom".

She looked up at him, seriously considering his offer. She had wanted to leave since before she walked in the door. What teacher would be stupid enough to offer her something like that? "Well sir", she said, trying to sound serious, "I suppose I'll leave." Then she just took her stuff and left the class.

She could hear her classmate laughing, and she could hear her teacher calling the principal's office. That didn't really matter to her. In fact, less and less seemed to matter to her these days. Phoebe wasn't quite sure where she was going. She found herself going down a hallway where all the bad kids, those worse than her, could be seen walking down. There was a door at the end of it. The door said guidance office.

She didn't know what led her to that door. It was sort of like an instinct. Something told her that she had to go there, it was important. When she reached the door, she just stood outside, wondering what to do. As it turned out, she didn't have to wonder for long. There was a man sitting there, who seemed oddly familiar, yet she was sure she had never seen him before.

She didn't know why, but she went inside. The man looked up from his papers, as if expecting her. "Hi Phoebe, I'm Leo", the man said with a smile. Phoebe simply stared at him. She didn't know what she was supposed to do, or what she was supposed to say. She sat down across from him, waiting for something else to happen. That seemed like what she always did; waited for something to happen.

"I know there's something you need to talk about", Leo said. He was still smiling so pleasantly. Phoebe thought of all the things that had been going on in her life lately. She still wished she could run away, and get away from it all. The only problem was, she didn't know where she would go. It wasn't like anyone wanted her. She was the kid that everyone forgot, the one that nobody loved. She wasn't going to start talking to a stranger about that.

However, Leo continued to look at her. There was something about his eyes. They were so blue, so pure and honest. He was the type of person you could naturally talk to. "They don't understand", she said. The instant she said it, she regretted it. She didn't want to say too much.

Leo wasn't prepared to take that and leave her alone. He was obviously talking to her for a purpose, although, the more Phoebe though about it, the more she doubted that he actually worked at the school. "Phoebe, you don't have to talk to me if you don't want to…but I'm here to help you", Leo said. His tone was such that she knew he was telling the truth.

"They expect a certain thing from me. I'm the rebel, so I'm always the one who does bad things. I just want to be wanted, and I know that I'm not", she said in a rush. The moment she said it, she regretted saying it.

"You know who you are Phoebe. No one else can tell you that", he said. She knew that what he said was true, but she had trouble believing it. Without saying anything else, she left the office. She sensed that their meeting was done. It was the weirdest meeting she had ever had, and she left it feeling uneasy.

As always, the atmosphere in the Halliwell manor was tense. They were sitting around the dinner table, and it was so silent that it was uncomfortable. They were all thinking about how their lives pretty much sucked. Both Piper and Phoebe were thinking about what that strange man had told them. He had been strange, yet his advice had rung true.

They still didn't know whether or not they would do what he had suggested. They had gone so long without really talking to their family, that it was hard to know where to start. "So…how was everyone's day?" Grams asked. She was making one brave stab at conversation. None of her granddaughters answered her immediately.

"Terrible", Paige said. They waited, but the youngest of the sisters didn't chose to elaborate. They ate in silence for a few more minutes.

"I'm running for class secretary", Piper said, "We have to make a speech soon." That was a big deal for her. She hated making speeches, and she normally got very nervous. One time in first grade, she had even thrown up. She had decided on this a while ago, and had already submitted her name officially, but she had been afraid to tell her family. Now she had finally told them, and she waited for their reactions.

"That's nice dear", Grams said in a distracted manner. It was as if she wasn't even listening. Piper knew that she should be used to it, but it still hurt.

"I was thinking of doing something special for my birthday", Prue said. Her birthday was in about two weeks, and she thought having a party would help her go back to her old happy self.

"That's right, your birthday's soon. I should get you something", Phoebe said enthusiastically.

_Great_, Piper thought, _Now they're all listening to Prue_. " I was thinking of what to say for my speech, and I was wondering if you had some ideas", she said. She was hoping they would listen to her now.

"I'm sure you could have a couple of people over, Prue darling. Just make sure you include your sisters", Grams said. Piper felt her eyes burning. She was about to cry. Yes, Prue's birthday was important, but she was just as important as her older sister. Now her sisters and her grandmother were talking about what they would do for Prue's birthday. She fought the urge to run away from the table.

Even Paige was joining in the conversation. Paige had been acting particularly grumpy lately. Piper thought about what Leo had told her that afternoon. He had told her to tell her family when she felt invisible. Easier said than done. Even if she did, they probably wouldn't notice. What did she have to do to get them to listen to her?

Next week she would have to give her speech in front of the whole school. If she won, it would be so great. She had to think of what she would talk about, but that didn't matter. She wasn't very popular, and these were pretty much popularity contests. Still, it was nice to dream. Maybe if she won, it would show them. If she won, people would notice her.

"I'd like to be excused", Piper muttered. Her family didn't stop their conversation. They didn't even look at her. She picked up her plate, and put it in the sink. Then without another word, she pushed in her chair, and she walked up to her room.

As she shut the door behind her, she began to cry freely. This was worse than when people were mean to her. At least then she existed. It wasn't just at home, it was at school too. It was as if she had suddenly gained the power to make herself invisible. She wished Leo was there. He would know what to say.

She sat on her bed and tried to calm down. She tried breathing slowly and steadily, to stop herself from crying. She felt herself stop crying as her breathing returned to normal. One day she would show them. She would make them all notice that she was alive…somehow. Maybe she would go see Leo again. He had appeared so mysteriously, that she wasn't sure if he would be there or not.

She used to think that when people would make fun of her, it was the worst thing that could ever happen to her. It used to make her so upset. She had thought that nothing could be worse. Now she knew the truth. The worst thing someone could be was invisible, inconsequential, unnoticed. Piper knew that she was all of those things, and it destroyed.

She would show them all though. One day, they would notice her.

**TBC…**

**AN2: Did you like it? Please read and review, or I really won't update. Sorry it took so long. School, and like…life…got in the way. However, I'm very pessimistic, so this story got very easy to write, and makes me feel better. This really is almost done….but I'd really like more reviews. I'll make it longer than I intended just to get more. **


	21. Public Humiliation

**Chapter 20: Public Humiliation**

**A/N: I should be doing a million other things right now, but whatever. Writing makes me feel better. At least next year, I can have a class where the work is to write. I know where this is going and how it ends. In this chapter, their life continues to suck. Hence the title I guess. Read and Review!**

Today was the day Piper had been both looking forward to and dreading. It was her time to show everyone that she actually existed. At first it had seemed like such a good idea. They were looking for new people on the student council. It seemed easy enough, and Piper had been looking for something to do. Just signing up required no effort on her part. As they day of the speeches approached, she wondered what on earth had possessed her to do such a thing.

In theory, it was supposed to be simple. They were asked to prepare a three minute speech about what they had to offer that school. That was harder than it seemed. What did she have to offer? She couldn't think of a thing. This whole thing was a popularity contest anyways. She wasn't naïve enough to believe otherwise. People voted for their friends or who they liked best, and that's just the way it worked. Piper didn't really have friends. People didn't even particularly like her.

That didn't bother her as much as it used to. It wasn't being liked that was her goal, it was being noticed. She didn't even expect to get any votes. The person who was secretary was usually not particularly popular, but this year, she was running against none other than Missy. Yes, it was the same Missy who called her a geek, and made her life miserable. She spent days trying to think of what to say. Still, she couldn't come up with anything.

She had overheard people talking about who was running for the upcoming elections. They were talking about who they would vote for. Piper couldn't help but eavesdrop. When the talk turned to who would be secretary, she listened more intently.

"Who's running for secretary", one of them asked. It was a girl named Amber who wasn't particularly friends with Piper, but wasn't quite mean either.

"Oh, just Missy", said Ella, one of Missy's friends. As an after thought she added, "Oh yeah, some nobody is running against her."

Piper turned away, her eyes burning with unshed tears. Was that what they thought of her? She was used to being treated like that at home, but not at school. She knew that she was the exact opposite of popular. That was no surprise. Hearing someone she didn't know say it like that hurt her deeply.

She shouldn't really care when people said things like that. She should be used to it by then, but there were certain things you never got used to. She had been called stupid, ugly, fat, a freak, and much more, both to her face and behind her back. Somehow, being called nobody hurt the most of all. The weeks leading up to this day seemed to pass so quickly. The whole time, she thought of how she would show everyone that she existed. Now that the day had arrived, she had finally begun to worry about the presentation itself.

Piper was afraid of speaking in public. She wasn't afraid, she had a phobia. She had a horrible time during class presentation. Even standing up in front of people, she would begin to feel nauseous. She avoided speaking in front of people, and when she had to, she panicked about it for weeks. Simply thinking about it would cause her breathing to quicken, and her pulse to race.

She really had the urge to just quit, just go home and quit. It would be so much easier that way. It wasn't as if she had a ghost of a chance of winning. The speeches were supposed to be the last period of that day, so she had the whole day to panic. People were wishing the other candidates luck, but of course, no one even knew she was running. She was much too nervous to tell them.

The speeches were in the afternoon. The morning passed much too quickly with Piper's liking. She ate her lunch alone in the cafeteria, barely even tasting it. Immediately after lunch, she was to report to the auditorium. As she walked there, her legs were shaking. No one except the other candidates were there as of yet. Piper didn't talk to any of them. They were all pretty, smart, athletic, and popular. Basically, they were everything Piper was not.

What had she been thinking? The day she won an election would be the day that hell froze over. Just imagining the look on Prue's face prevented her from bolting. Finally, people would know that she existed. So what if they didn't want her as her secretary? For once, they would know her name.

By the time she took her place backstage with all of the others, she was trembling. She fought back the urge to vomit. For the millionth time, she asked herself why she was doing this. She could hear the first batch of students filling into the auditorium, talking loudly to each other. She went over her speech twice in her head. That made her feel a little better.

Much too soon, she heard the teacher advisor, Mrs. Walters saying, "Let me welcome your candidates for school president!"

The speeches of the others went pretty quickly too. Piper couldn't bring herself to listen. Listening would just make her feel even more horrible. Unfortunately, secretary was one of the last positions to make their speeches. By the time Piper's name was called, her whole body felt numb. She approached the podium, trembling from head to toe.

She looked out apprehensively into the audience. There seemed to be a million people there, although the number was probably closer to 200. Their faces seemed to blur together. Piper could see her older sister Prue sitting in the front row. Her older sister was looking at her in shock. Suddenly, Piper found herself unable to speak. She cleared her throat nervously a few times.

The whole experience brought her back to the last time she had spoken in front of a large group of people, nearly 9 years before. It was her first grade Christmas pageant. Her grandmother and her sisters had been anticipating it for weeks. That wasn't what made it so memorable. Her father had actually said he would come to see her. She was the present. It was a very small part, but her daddy there made it special.

She had been practicing her two lines since she had gotten them. Young Piper had always been a perfectionist, and she wanted to get this right. Her family had been sick of her running around the house saying, "I am a special gift, put under the tree. On Christmas morning, someone will open me!"

She had been extremely exited the day of the performance. She proudly showed off the shiny red bow tied around her waist, which was her costume. The night of the performance, she had taken her place next to Fred, this really tall boy who was the Christmas tree. Right before her line, she looked for her family in the audience.

She spotted Grams, Prue and Phoebe right away. They were sitting near the front. She saw Phoebe smile and wave eagerly. Then she started to look for her father. She looked everywhere, and he was no where to be found. When it came time for her lines, she still hadn't found them. She said her lines in tears, and she ran off the stage. She had never been comfortable with public speaking since then.

She tried to push that memory out of her head. She wasn't there anymore. She was in front of the entire twelfth grade, and they expected her to make a speech. She was extremely nervous, but she would do it. She took a deep breath, and she began her speech.

"Hi, my name is Piper Halliwell, and I'm running secretary. I'm very responsible, and I think I would be a great secretary because…" Piper said, her voice shaking ever so slightly. She had stopped because she heard voices. The people in the audience were talking to each other. They weren't listening. She could hear what they were saying.

"She's such a looser, she should get off the stage", she heard one guy say.

"Who does she think she is, wasting out time?" said another.

Piper knew she shouldn't care what they said. However, at the moment, she wasn't exactly thinking logically. She felt her eyes fill up with tears, and she furiously blinked them away. "Um…as I was saying…" she attempted to continue. She heard a couple of people giggle. She started feeling nauseous. Before she knew what was happening, she leaned over the edge of the stage, and vomited onto the floor.

Her head was spinning. People really were laughing openly now. She ran off the stage, and tried to hide back stage. The candidates still there gave her a wide circumference. There were tears in her eyes. Piper was almost sure that her face was bright red. She had never been so embarrassed in her whole life.

There was a sort of awkward silence on stage, when no one knew what to say. Then, from the gap in the curtains, Piper saw her sister Prue walk up onto the stage. No one did anything to stop her. Everyone knew who Prue was. There was an excited muttering as she walked onto the stage. Prue seemed to exude an aura of confidence.

"What my sister meant to say", Prue said. An unnatural hush fell over the crowd. Prue had a way of commanding attention. Piper couldn't help but admire the confident tone in her older sister's voice. "Is that she's an amazing person, and if you just give her a chance, she'll do a great job as secretary", Prue said.

This caused a round of applause from the audience. Piper would definitely at least get a few votes thank to her sister. That didn't make her feel exactly grateful. She didn't need her big sister rescuing her all the time. This had been something she had wanted to do all by herself. As she tried to disappear for a while, at least until she made her next speech, she ran into Prue. She tried not to look at her sister. It wouldn't be fun to talk to her.

"Aren't you going to say thank you?" Prue asked incredulously.

"For what?" Piper asked, a little more bitterly than she had intended. Prue looked as if she had been slapped. Actually, Piper was considering doing just that, but she decided against it. Piper had not meant to hurt her sister, and Prue really did look hurt. However, Piper felt a little beyond saying she was sorry. She didn't feel it was really necessary.

"I just saved you up there. If it weren't for me, you would've made even more of a fool of yourself." Piper gaped at her, not sure how to point out how wrong that statement was. She was certain that now everyone would laugh at her more, because she couldn't even make a speech without help from her big sister. Maybe being invisible was better than this.

"For your information, I don't need you to SAVE ME!" Piper shouted a little too loudly. She had almost forgotten she was in a crowded hallway and that people could be listening. Piper ran away from Prue before her sister could answer her. She didn't want to cause more of a scene than she was sure she already had.

She would soon have to at least attempt the same speech 3 more times. She had only run in the first place in order to be seen. People certainly saw her now. Strangely, she kind of wished they would stop seeing her.

She wasn't sure why she was so angry with Prue. Her older sister was always trying to act like her mother. She didn't need a mother, she needed a sister. What she also needed was for Prue to realize that she was old enough to take care of herself. Piper knew that it wasn't right to be so angry with her sister. Prue's intentions had been good, after all. She didn't mean to snap at her. It was just that because of her, an embarrassing experience became even more embarrassing.

Now Piper thought that her sister would never talk to her again. Piper had been foolish to think she should run for student council, just to be noticed. Something like that never had a chance of working. Although, in this case, it had kind of worked. Only it had backfired, and she was noticed in a negative way. Piper decided she would just drop out of the elections. She had been stupid entering in the first place.

Piper decided that she would make it up to Prue. It wasn't Prue's fault that Piper was a socially inept looser. Piper couldn't hold it against her. Prue also couldn't help that she was confident, popular, and socially gifted. Prue's birthday was coming up in a few days. Piper and her younger sisters were planning a party for her. Prue would be eighteen, and that was a big one. Besides, planning something special for Prue would keep her mind off of how her life continued to suck.

**TBC…**

**AN2: Well, this is almost over, very sad. But after I'll start something new and cool. Hopefully you read, review, and then enjoy. I just have exams next week, and then I'll have a LOT of free time. Unfortunately. I'll probably update quite soon. **


	22. Happy Birthday Prue

**Happy Birthday Prue**

**A/N: Glad some people liked the last chapter. This is taking me forever to write. That's sad, cause there's three more chapters. I dunno why I haven't been writing this much, I guess because I just don't feel like it. I hope you (whoever reads it) likes it. Remember, reviews are my friends. **

Prue woke up early that morning, without the help of her alarm clock. Although she was too cautious to expect much, she was excited. Phoebe had been dropping hints for a while about a party. Prue was certain it was for her; Phoebe could never keep a secret. Prue was especially excited because that day was her eighteenth birthday. It wasn't every day that you turned eighteen.

Even if there wasn't a party, she was excited. As she got dressed and made her bed, she thought about how much better her life was lately. Her and Andy were still together, and more in love then they had been before. She had managed to find a balance between being popular, and being herself. All in all, she was so much happier. High school was almost over, and after that, she hoped to study photography in college, out east. She skipped down the stairs, feeling as though nothing could put a damper on her mood.

When she got to the dinning room, she found it to be empty. She kind of wanted to talk to Piper. Her sister had been acting distant towards her lately. It was every since Prue had finished Piper's speech in the elections. Prue couldn't understand what the problem was. She was only trying to help, and anyone could see that. Even though Prue felt she hadn't done anything wrong, she still wanted to apologize. It was horrible to have people mad at her.

She munched her toast thoughtfully, wondering how best to approach Piper. Grams walked in at that moment, a stack of mail in her hands. She was flipping through the pile of envelopes non challantly. She suddenly stopped at an envelope and tore it open. Prue tried to keep eating her toast, but she could tell that what Grams was reading wasn't very good. With her luck, it would pertain to her.

"Prudence Helena Halliwell, would you care to explain this?" Grams said slowly. Prue cringed inwardly. When Grams used her full name, which she rarely did, it meant she was in trouble.

"What did I do?" she asked glumly. Her good mood was instantly ruined. Grams didn't even say good morning, or happy birthday. She leaned over to look at the paper Grams was holding. She grinned at what she saw. It was an acceptance letter for the photography program at New York University. It was her first choice, and the place she wanted to go to more than anything.

"There's nothing to explain", Prue said, "I applied there. I got in. Aren't you happy for me?"

"Of course I am dear", Grams said pleasantly, "It's just that you shouldn't leave home. You have responsibilities here."

"Whatever", Prue mumbled. She didn't understand why they were having that conversation, or where it was going.

"Oh, and you need to meet Paige in the middle school playground. She's supposed to distract you before…oh never mind…just get going then", Grams said. Prue watched as her grandmother already started busying herself in the kitchen. Prue grinned to herself. Her day was once again starting to get good. Now she was certain she'd be having a party.

During the short walk to the middle school that Paige and Phoebe attended, Prue couldn't help grinning. She was humming to herself, and thinking about what kind of party her sisters had planned for her. She wondered how Paige would distract her. She had to admit, that after she had gotten a new little sister, she really hadn't gotten to know her. She wasn't even sure what Paige liked to do. What did eleven year olds like to do anyways? Well, now was as good a time as any to find out.

She saw Paige sitting alone on the swings. She looked kind of sad. Prue walked up to the swing next to her and sat down. "Hey Paige", she said brightly.

"Hey", Paige answered. Then she seemed to remember something. "Oh, hey…um…I asked you here, because I needed your help with um…something!" Paige finished kind of lamely.

"It's okay, I know about the party", Prue said smiling a little. It was cute how Paige couldn't keep a secret; she was exactly like Phoebe in that way.

"I am soooo sorry", Paige said. She did look truly sorry. She looked at Prue nervously, as if she expected to be yelled at. "Could we just like, do something for a while anyways, because Piper and Phoebe are still setting up", Paige said. Prue felt an unexplained surge of affection for her youngest sister. She could tell the younger girl was somewhat intimidated by her, and that saddened her.

"What do you like to do?" Prue asked Paige curiously. Prue had realized that she didn't know a thing about her youngest sister. It was kind of sad, because Prue hadn't even tried. Paige looked up at her oldest sister, as if stunned that they were speaking like that.

"Well", she said thoughtfully, getting up, and walking around the sandbox, "What I love to do most is paint. I love to capture the way things are with paint, so everyone can see." Prue could sense the passionate excitement creeping into Paige's voice. It sounded like exactly how Prue felt about photography. They were a lot alike in many ways.

Paige looked at Prue again. It was then that Prue was hit with how much Paige looked like their mother. It was especially obvious in the eyes. "You look a lot like our mom", Prue said. She didn't know why she said it, but it seemed to make Paige happy.

"Thanks for telling me that", Paige said smiling, "No one likes to talk about her much." Then Paige looked at her watch. "We have to go now", Paige said, "We're going to be late."

Prue followed Paige to the banquet hall that Grams had helped them rent. According to Paige, Grams would already be there. After promising half a dozen times to act surprised, they walked into the darkened room together. "SURPRISE!" a crowd of people yelled together. The lights opened, and Prue saw pretty much everyone she knew in the room. She did more then look surprised. She couldn't keep the smile off her face, she was so happy. All of her worries just disappeared.

It was time to party, and party was what she did. She danced to the music, ate food, and talked with random people. Prue did all this without a care in the world. Her sisters looked like they were having fun too, although the four of them didn't really talk much during the party. There were just too many other people to talk to. It seemed like all of their problems might somehow be over.

Finally it was time for the cake. It was a beautiful cake of chocolate. "I made it", Piper told her sister proudly. Prue smiled in recognition. Piper was always the greatest in the kitchen. The whole party crowded around the table, as Grams lit the candles. There were 18 candles for every year of her life, and one for good luck. As her guests began to sing, Prue couldn't help but blush. This was definitely looking like it would be one of her better birthdays.

"Make a wish!" her guessed urged her. She paused for a moment before blowing out the candles. She didn't know why she settled on the particular wish. She knew that it was impossible. She also knew that it was the wish Phoebe made year after year. Her little sister had never been able to keep a secret, although Prue had always though t that secret wishes were the only kind to come true. Prue had wished for more time with her mother.

It was stupid to think of that at a time like this. All of her friends were here. Her sisters and her grandmother had prepared a wonderful party for her. It was a time for celebration, and not for mourning. In the time when everything was about to change, she only wanted to be like everyone else. There were things that mothers and daughters were supposed to share, that she had never had.

After cake was eaten, it was time for presents. She had gotten clothes, books, movies; things she had fleetingly wanted, but nothing really special. She thanked everyone casually. It was only when she opened the last present that she found something truly special. The card on the front had a heart, and it said one word: Always. She opened it up, and found a beautifully written note from Andy. She read it to herself.

_Dear Prue, _

_You're the most special girl in the world, and I wish you'd realize that. Things have been difficult, but no matter what, I'll always be there. Before you, I didn't even know what happiness was. I am lucky to have met you. Regardless of what the future holds, we will always be part of each other's lives. I will always love you. Always. _

_Love,_

_Andy_

She looked at her boyfriend with tears in her eyes, and she had yet to open the present. He mouthed the words 'You're welcome'. She knew what he had written in the letter was true; he would always be there. They had a connection, that even she couldn't understand sometimes. Andy understood her in the way that no one else could. She opened the present, not caring what it was because she knew who it was from.

When she saw what it was, she gasped out loud. It was something she had always wanted, but she had never expected she would get it. It was the most beautiful camera she had ever seen. She had admired it in the store. It was top of the line, the kind of camera that would always take good pictures, whether or not you had talent. She couldn't wait to try it. At least Andy understood how much photography meant to her.

The party began to wind down after a few hours. Gradually, people left, telling her how much fun they had had. Finally, only her sisters, her grandmother, and Andy were the only ones left. That was almost the way she liked it. Her sisters and Andy were talking with her about what a success the party had been. They were all content, to be sitting there, and talking like that.

"I'd better go, my mom might start to worry", Andy said, looking at the time on the grandfather clock. Prue didn't mind much. They would have days, weeks, and possibly their whole lives in which to talk. Andy left, and it took all of Prue's will power not to follow him. He was the only one who truly understood her.

Piper was helping Grams in the kitchen, since she was the only one who actually enjoyed it. If she was allowed, Piper would never leave the kitchen. Paige and Phoebe had left not long before, claiming they were sleeping over at a friend's house. That sounded a little suspicious to her, but she didn't really want to know what they actually planned. Those two were much more rebellious than she or Piper had ever been.

What Prue wanted more than anything at that moment, was to be alone with her thoughts. Unfortunately, to get to the stairs leading to her room, she had to pass the place where Piper and Grams were talking. She really didn't want Grams to talk to her, but it seemed unavoidable. She tiptoed into the kitchen, doing her best to become invisible. Of course, no one, not even Phoebe could sneak past Grams for any reason.

"Prudence darling", Grams began in a voice that told her this wasn't a pleasant talk, "Have you thought about what we talked about earlier?" It took Prue a moment to realize what Grams was talking about, but then she figured it out.

She glared at her grandmother, somewhat angry. "I'm going to New York for college, and that's all there is to it" she shouted. She didn't give her grandmother a chance to say anything. Piper had stopped cleaning to listen, but Prue didn't care. She simply stormed up to her room without look back, shut the door, and lay down on her bed. By the time the door was shut, she was practically seething.

She didn't understand what her grandmother's problem was. Why couldn't she go away for college, just like everyone else? Her grandmother probably didn't want her to be a photographer, because it was too unstable. She didn't understand that this was something Prue was passionate about. None of them understood. They all wanted her to be responsible and steady. Prue was tired of being what was expected of her.

At least she had Andy. With him, it was different than with all the other boys. They had been through everything together and still, first and foremost, they were the best of friends. She had tried to understand Grams' crazy desire for her to live in the manor for the rest of her life, but she just couldn't. She had always been the one who had to take care of her sisters, but they had Grams, and wasn't that enough? Sure it would be nice to have a mother, and a father, but Prue had had neither since she was 8 years old, and she was perfectly fine.

She glanced at her clock while stifling a yawn. It was nearly one in the morning, no wonder she was so tired. It was her birthday, she should have been able to easily fall asleep after a day of happiness. The day had been happy, but she couldn't' fall asleep. Eighteen was supposed to be special, supposed to make her an adult, and yet she felt just as helpless as she always had. She was the responsible one, and there was no way around it. In the Halliwell manor, Grams ruled.

She wondered what her mother would say, had she been alive. From what Prue remembered of her, she had always been so understanding, and so kind. She would help, instead of lecture. She would tell Prue that all that mattered was that she was happy. She tried to picture her mother's face, as she did on every birthday, but this time, it seemed a little blurred around the edges. That scared her. At least she remembered her mother at all, Phoebe had only been 3, she didn't remember.

She rolled over again, trying to think of nothing whatsoever. She needed to stop feeling sorry for herself. Birthdays did this to her. They were filled with so much normalcy, and yet she was always reminded of what she felt she should have had. She rarely thought of her father if she could help it, but now she couldn't help it. She was finding he was more and more like him, and that frightened her.

She had to go to New York, it was her dream. No one, not even Grams, was going to stop her. She knew this, and she felt it was right, until she realized, it's exactly what her father had done. He had abandoned those who needed him, just because that was what was better for him. Wasn't she about to do the same thing? No. It wasn't the same. She could never forgive her father for what he had done. It was cowardly, and in her opinion, she didn't have a father.

She didn't know why she was thinking about all of that at that moment. Prue knew that eighteen was special, that it was supposed to be different. It wasn't really all that different, except for the realizations it had brought. It was time to grow up now, and yet she couldn't help but looking back at her childhood to all the things that should have been . It wasn't that she had had a bad childhood, but things were now so complicated, and difficult. She wished things could be different.

As she drifted off into a troubled sleep, she thought about the wish she had made every year since her ninth birthday. She knew it was impossible to see her mother again, yet part of her had always hoped. Part of her needed to believe that anything was possible, although life had proved that wrong so many times.

She must have fallen asleep, because she was almost certain she was dreaming. It was strange to dream and to be aware of it. All she knew was that the scene before her could not be real. It was her room, but it was different. Everything had an ethereal glow. All of a sudden, the room was bathed in glowing blue-white light. That's when she was certain it was a dream. This could never happen.

Out of the light, which was so bright it was almost blinding. Prue could just make out the figure of a woman, behind the light. She couldn't tell who it was, but she could tell the woman was beautiful. The woman stepped closer, and Prue knew she had to see her. It was only when the woman was right in front of her that she realized who it was. There was no mistaking her.

Prue's throat burned. She swallowed hard, chocking back tears that would surely come. The reason was that that woman was who she had wanted to see more than any other. "Mom?" she asked in a chocked whisper.

**TBC...**

**A/N2: dun dun dun! Wasn't that great? It was magic, but if you want, you can pretend it wasn't. Now Prue has her mommy...what will happen now? R&R to find out! **


End file.
